Rising Tides
by TheAllisons
Summary: Emma's entire world is tipped upside down when her fiancee is brutally murdered. It was the first move in a deadly game that would throw the two kingdoms into war. Someone was pulling the strings and gambling lives. Emma runs from her home in a blind quest to find this killer. Nothing can prepare her for what happens. (Historical CS AU)
1. Chapter 1: Do I have a chance?

Emma's feet pounded against the ground, kicking up stones and dirt as they kept in rhythm with her heartbeat.

Stupid! How had that happened. She was seen, and not just by anyone.

She skidded to a halt in front of the stone wall. Two Guards stood on duty at the gate. Both tensed at the sight of her, their hands on the hilts of their swords. There was a cold moment when they took in her sodden breeches and shirt. Her was wet and splattered with mud. Then was a second when Emma was frightened they didn't recognise her, but then the taller of the two relaxed. "_Princess_ Emma..." His voice was heavy with frustration and disapproval, He seemed to be trying to remind her that she was indeed royalty and should act like it.

Usually she would have spoken sharply for him to be silent, but she was and tired, dirty and a little frightened. Though she tried not to let it show. "Graham, let me pass."

He obeyed, though he muttered to her as she strutted past. _"Shouldn't you be at a ball or something?"_

She ignored him. Because he was right, she should already be primped and powdered. Ready to let all the foreign princes and lords inspect her like she was cattle. There was only one man she was interested in. She was terribly afraid he would no longer want her.

Two of Emma's sisters were married... Well, not really Regina, but Emma suspected an engagement would be announced any day now.

Belle had wedded three years ago, to a man who was not entirely in her parents good books. But in the end, they understood why she did such a thing. It was similar to what had happened to them in their younger years.

That left Aurora and Emma.

She had denied she had felt anything for a particular suitor, but would have been stupid to think nobody saw through her pretence. Her suitor as in, prince Philip. They had been friends for some long years and he had been Emma's childhood companion when snow failed at getting her to play with her sisters.

Emma had begun to develop feeling and she was sure he returned them. But after today... he had hardly seen her for three years and was expecting a proper lady. She was meant to grow out of her rule breaking and pants. Obviously she hadn't. Emma had decided because Philip would not be arriving until the next day, to let out a little of her pent up energy by going for a swim in the sea.

She wasn't expecting him to arrive early...

The little boat had rocked in the choppy waves and Emma had tried to stay hidden underwater. But she was tired, and it took effort to keep herself from bubbling to the surface. It hadn't helped to have her pale skin and hair almost glowing in the moonlight.

Anyone else could have mistaken her for a sea creature, a mermaid perhaps... but not Philip, oh no, the moment he saw her a little frown appeared above blue eyes. "Emm-?"

He was cut when Emma dove under, swimming away as fast as she could. Blue grey flashes as fish flitted away from the newcomer. Please don't let him follow me! she screamed silently to herself.

Only roaring silence answered her.

Emma's foot slipped and she almost fell backwards off the stairs. She was saved from this painfully embarrassing fate by Aurora.

"Emma!" Aurora scolded her sister. "You should be ready for the ball!"

Emma looked down and her pants and under shirt. They were soaked and covered with mud and sand. Not to mention her hair. She looked Aurora pleadingly. "Philip's here, he came early."

Aurora looked at Emma's face then at her sodden clothing "Lets go."

* * *

After some quick changing and a rather painful combing of her hair, Aurora persuaded her to wear perfumed oils to hide the smell of the ocean. Even Emma had to agree that it was for the best, her parents would know _exactly_ where she had been. Not to mention all of the guests and court.

"Emma don't run!" Whispered Aurora fiercely. Emma had been taking the stairs two at a time, perhaps trying to make up for the lateness she was arriving. "You will get all red and puffed."

Emma halted, grumbling as she waited for her sister to catch up with her, she seemed to have the pace of an old lady.

Aurora linked arms with Emma, and they both automatically put on wide smiles, one of which looked more alike to a grimace. A lot of Charming and Snow's potential husbands for Emma were either twice her age or younger.

This was going to be a hell of a night.

The noise in the crowded room hushed when they entered, all eyes were on the two princesses late for their own ball.

The room was glowing with candlelight, the long white tables laden with desserts, making Emma realise how much trouble she really was in...

But still, she was_ hungry,_

Just as she was making her escape to the sugary items of food, she heard Charming approaching close behind. It was a familiar clinking of metal studded boots.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I should dedicate myself to arrive on time, and maybe you should write it on my face help me remember." She rolled her eyes as she said it, not caring who saw this unladylike expression. The second bit of the sentence was inspired by Regina's joking about it.

"Uh right, I'll just go then."

He wasn't charming.

It was Philip.

And a man with a curved silver hook for a hand.

"I must say, mate. I like your choice of ladies."

Philip turned turned a shade of maroon, looking highly uncomfortable at his friends remark. Emma was sure she wasn't that much better.

"Hook, please. Not now...?" There was something in his tone that made the man with the hook's grin slide off his face."Very well... I have better things to do with my time anyway." He turned on his heel.

"Emma, could we speak privately?" Philip's full attention was now on her. She felt herself blush even more, hell, if that was possible. The funny thing was, it wasn't because of anything romantic, but she now felt sure she still had mud in her hair. Or worse. "Yes, of course."

Bad move, now he was free to question her about her little escapade to the seaside. She took Philips offered arm, glancing back over her shoulder to see Charming shooting dangerous glares over to where "Hook" was drinking something suspicious out of a flask. Was that the better things that he had to do? Obviously not. How great, Philip had brought a drunk to her ball.

"This way. Emma." Philip guided her towards the garden. The flush of happiness she felt when he said her name for the second time that night was drowned out by her annoyance. He was trying to be the gentleman and take the lead. In her own home!

"I know." She snapped, releasing his arm. "I have lived here all my life." So had he, but that was not going to be mentioned aloud by her.

"I'm sorry." He sat down on the stone seat by the fountain. "I... I am nervous, because of what I am about to confess to you." There was a short silence, and Emma stood stock still, watching as Philip carefully plucked a rose. He rolled the stalk between his fingers for a moment, contemplating what to say."Will you sit by me?" She did. And he offered her the rose.

Suddenly, Emma missed the time when they were the best of friends, when they could run and dive, taunting the guards and breaking the rules. When trivial things like love and marriage didn't matter.

"We were always close." He began, giving Emma a fright. It was almost like he read her thoughts. "But never as much as we are now..."

She highly doubted that, but she managed to hold her tongue.

He coughed uncomfortably, as if sensing her conflicting emotions. "I was never the one for words. That was always Hook... What I mean to say is - what I want to know, Emma, is... Do I have a chance with you? Please don't give me false hope."

"Yes." She said softly, without hesitation. "You do." She had never doubted it. Not for one moment.

He brought her hand to his lips, and kissed it, sending warm tingles shooting up her arm. A slow wide smile was spreading across his face. "Then dance with me."

"If that's what you want, then I will. With pleasure." There was a high note in her voice that had never been there before. It must have been that kiss, making her turn into one of those lovesick fools she always found excruciatingly embarrassing.

Emma managed a lot more dancing than she had thought was possible for a healthy human being, and enjoyed every last one, though she tried not to let it show too much. She caught her fathers eye in a space when she was resting, and he gave her an approving nod. Perhaps he thought she was putting up with the more tedious parts of the night to be a good daughter. It was close enough, so she would go with it. Anything to distract him from the glances Philip and herself had exchanged.

Somehow, letting him know about the conversation that had taken place earlier didn't seem right.

"Tired?"

It was Hook. If she had to call him that, she had no other name to go by. Funny that Philip didn't introduce them.

"Only a little..." She leaned back against the table, watching Philip dance with Aurora. There was a tingle of jealousy, and then, quick as it had come, she shook her head, clearing it."So," She turned to face Hook, perhaps vying for a distraction from that strange feeling. "How do you know Philip?"

He was frowning, but Emma thought she detected amusement in his voice. "Why, am I not surprised that the subject of conversation revolves around your love?"

"My love!" She coughed on the water she had been attempting to down. "What do you mean?"

"There is no need to call me your love, your majesty" He gave her a dramatic bow. "I already have had enough pretty ladies saying that tonight to last me a lifetime."

She scowled. Not caring that it would give her lines. "Bastard."

He grinned.

She was beginning to wonder if it would seem all that unladylike to wipe his face clean with her fist.

Aurora and Philip came to the rescue.

"Perhaps we should go to bed now," Aurora said to Emma as Hook and Philip began a conversation that seemed strangely dull and irrelevant.

Emma suspected that Hook had purposely done it to annoy her.

"Yes," She put her glass down. "Lets excuse ourselves from these last dances, and go early." Funny that she wasn't in the least bit tired, and would likely lie awake for the last precious hours till sun-up. Her mind was buzzing, and she needed to take all of it in.

"Goodnight gentlemen."

She was wrong about not sleeping. It seemed that she was unconscious the moment her head touched her pillow.

That same night she woke with one thought in her head. It seemed very important, like it had been nagging at the back of her mind for hours, but she hadn't realized it.

_I have never liked roses._

**A/N We hope you liked it! We will try to make the chapters longer, but this one was written on a phone way past bed time... MY favourite way;) Please don't forget to leave a review.**


	2. Chapter 2: A change of heart

**Chapter 2: A change of heart**

* * *

**Hope you like this!**

The first thought that crossed her mind the next morning was that she was dead tired. The second was that Belle and her husband were visiting today.  
It happened that the latter was the one that forced Emma out of bed. As much as she wanted to roll over and sleep to noon, duty calls. And besides, she suspected grimly that she was already very close to a long lecture from her parents. Even they had their limits.

"You look horrible." Was all Graham said when he saw her.

"Thanks." Emma said dryly. "You are not looking so pretty yourself."

It was true, he looked as though he had scarcely had a wink of sleep in weeks. He probably hadn't, knowing him. He worked so hard, it almost seemed impossible. Sometimes he was just a guard, and then he was off god-knows-where on some mysterious mission. Doing something that Emma was sure everyone was better off not knowing.

"I still think you're overworked." She said, noting the way he shifted uncomfortably at her words.

"Somebody has to keep this kingdom from war." His gaze was now resting by the mountains. He seemed far off, distant. Emma knew he was thinking of the peace and quiet of the woods. It was something understood. She was was guilty herself of loving her alone time. Even Philip was too much for her sometimes.

She had an idea.

"Graham, take a day off. Come with me for a ride before my sister arrives. A chance won't come again anytime soon..." She elbowed him, grinning slyly. "And besides, I might find I will go by myself later. You know I've done it before. If my father hears that you could have stopped me from doing anything stupid by coming with me, but didn't... Well you know what he's like."

He laughed.

Anybody else might have felt threatened by her words. But Graham in some ways knew Emma even better than Philip and her sisters.

"Emma, you know I have more productive ways to spend my time."

"Someone else could handle whatever you have on..." But nobody could as well as Graham. "Please?"

He hesitated for a moment, his sharp eyes assessing her, probably making sure she had no other motives. And then he blew out some air. "Fine, I'll speak to your father. No promises."

Emma squealed, feeling like a child again.

He was going to enjoy the freedom even more than her.

Finally things were going her way.

"Can I bring my bow." She said teasingly. "I want to hunt boar."

"No."

Mostly anyway.

They bickered loudly as they strolled through the woods, leading their horses behind. She was glad for the fresh air and sunshine. Though Emma could see that Graham was tense and ready for action, as if he expected a gang of bloodthirsty thugs to leap out out from the shrubbery.

For once Emma was glad. She couldn't help but feel as if something was wrong... It was a lingering thought that seemed like after-effects of a dream. She shook it off, reminding herself of the good special things in life.

The sun was behind the clouds, so it was rather dark under the shelter of the heavy leaves. But Emma wasn't worried about that, neither was Graham, it seemed. Maybe it was because he knew these woods too well, or maybe, just maybe, someone had distracted him lest they head back early.

Funny that his denial intrigued her so.

"That can't be true!" Emma had said, shocked. The subject happened to have been brought up, and now she was genuinely curious. "Everybody has someone..."

"Not me." He had closed off from her again, his face blank and unreadable. Emma knew him too well to mistake it for something like cold hostility. It was loneliness.

"Don't pity me." He muttered, stepping carefully over a fallen branch. "Pity someone who cares."

"Graham... I-"

"Just drop it, will you." He snapped.

She would have apologized, but then he might take offence, so she tried something different.

"There is only one way to solve this problem... And that is finding someone who DOES care. About you." She looked at him sideways. "I feel like I won't have to look very far."

"What?"

"You already know, don't y-?"

She was cut off by his hand over her mouth.

Instinctively, she bit down. Hard.

He released her, but he didn't look happy. His hand was bleeding,

"What the hell, Emma?" He whispered angrily.

"You grabbed me!" She snarled, grabbing the reins of her startled mare, who was looking ready to make a run for it.

"Shhh!" He hissed. "Listen..."

"Why?" She demanded, still angry.

He didn't answer, but was listening carefully himself.

She heard birds. Lots and lots of them. Was that what he was trying to say? Was he making a point that she was disturbing the peace?  
And then she heard them. Voices.

_"...We have only just got here.. ...We cant go now... ridiculous."_ That voice. It was familiar.

"Its Philip." Emma elbowed Graham, enjoying the look on his face when he realized he may have overreacted.

He sighed. "Remember... You are a princess. You shouldn't be here, no lady should. Ever. I'm stupid for taking you." He made to step through the bushes, but Emma grabbed him.

"Wait."

She was listening to Philip talk. Something was off.

_"...Dangerous... ...we need to leave..."_ That was a different, slightly familiar voice.

_"I said no! ... know you are getting bored with this place... But I- I want to stay..."_ Philip sounded angry, unlike anything she had ever heard him.

_"...No choice... I know you want to be with Princess Emma... But I'm telling you, its only going to end in tears... Your tears."_ Emma met Graham's eyes, she knew who the second man was. The one who Philip called "Hook."

The bastard.

_"...And besides, you know how woman are. She's after your throne. Of coursed she doesn't want to be your wife... Trust me. I know what I'm talking about..."_

"I'm going to kill him." Emma said almost calmly, in her blind rage. _"I. Am. Going. To. Kill. Him._

"Later." Graham said through gritted teeth, holding onto her arm to make sure she stayed put. "I feel a strange disliking to this man. Will you let me help you with that killing you spoke of, at a later date? I feel like it would be more enjoyable if we bide our time."

The voices were beginning to fade, but Emma's anger wasn't going anywhere.

"There is no better time than NOW!" Emma lurched forwards, but failed at making a escape. "Fine!" She gave up. "Lets go back. I guess that's where they're heading anyway."

For the second time in the last few days Emma found herself rushing to look presentable. Unfortunately, the smell of horse was a lot harder to disguise than the sea. Having to spend that extra time with washing wasn't helping to improve Emma's mood, so whenever something went wrong, the same thought went through her head.

She was going to kill him.

He was telling Philip filthy lies about her. How dare he? She was the last person to want Philip's crown.

Of course Philip knew that. He had known her since they were children... But, now she thought about it, she hadn't actually heard his reply to that rude statement about her. If only she had listened for a moment longer.

Worry ate away at Emma for the rest of the day. So much that by the time the guests had arrived, she was sure she had a angry black cloud hovering over her head.

"Emma..." Regina had peered at her sideways. "Ah, are you al-" She paused, obviously thinking better of it. "We should go and greet them."

Emma was silent, letting her sisters lead the way to the great hall.

There was a small crowd gathered around the visitors.

Belle was smiling widely, looking happier than Emma had ever seen her. Her husband, Rumpelstiltskin, was a different story. He looked out of place, Seeming uncomfortable at the attention.

"Welcome back Belle." Her fathers smile didn't even look a bit strained. That was a change. He too, seemed to be overworking. Funny that.

"Oh father, I am glad to be here again. I must say, I have missed this place." Belle glanced at her husband, a small smile playing on her lips. "Though it took me a while to persuade Rumple to accompany me."

"Not long enough, I think dear."

There was a short moment of silence, and then Snow laughed, taking Belle's arm cheerily, and the air cleared. "If you would excuse us gentlemen. The ladies here would like to help Belle with getting ready for dinner."

Emma tried not to scowl. In other words, it was time for the men to chat and sit around the fire, having fun, while they were squeezed into tight corsets yet again.

She needed to punch someone.

Preferably the bastard, Hook.

"Mother, I have something to say."

"Yes Belle?" They sat around the room, letting dusk fall. It was a rare peace for some. To be able to relax and sew.  
For Emma... Not so lovely.

"I'm pregnant."

What? Emma was back to reality again in a blink.

"That is wonderful, Belle!" Snow was already across the room, hugging her daughter. "Just wonderful!"

Emma looked across the room to Regina and Aurora. They looked as stunned as her.

"You better catch up soon, Regina." Emma heard herself say, grinning, as she stood to hug Belle too.

"Watch me."

After dinner, the noise level had grown, the music and dancing starting up. Everybody was laughing, happy.

Surprisingly, Emma's good mood had lasted.

She found herself hovering next to Philip, still grinning happily. What before seemed so important to her, no longer was such a big deal. Of COURSE Philip wasn't going to listen to that idiot he called his friend. He was better than that. So much better.

"Emma."

She snapped out of her bubble, focusing on him.

Philip looked awkward. As if he felt someone was listening, but he didn't suggest they go outside, away from the noise.  
Instead he cleared his throat. "Emma, I'm sorry. But I'm leaving in two days. Something has happened."

"But you will be back?" Her voice sounded unusually high. "Won't you?"

"I'm sorry." He was closing off, turning away, ready to disappear into the crowd. Gone from her life forever. "I can't."

"Where is he?"

That made him pause, looking confused.

"WHERE IS HE?!"

"Who?"

"Bloody Hook!"

"Wh-?"

"Tell me!" She was hysterical now. And a lot of people were staring at her like she had gone mad. Perhaps she had.

"I.. The stables..." He said, still looking confused. "Emma, wait!"

And then she was off, shoving randomly at people who got in her way. Several of them shouted her name after her, but she didn't care.  
She was outside, marching across the moonlit cobblestones, feeling ready to explode with rage.

Finally, after an eternity, she got to her destination.

The sweet smell of leather and straw hit her as she entered the stables.  
She blinked, unable to see much for a moment. And then her eyes adjusted.

He was standing next to one of the mares, patting and talking to her. He didn't look up when she swung the door open, though several horses whinnied.

"You!" She pointed a shaky finger at him. And then she was crossing the room in very unladylike long strides.

"What the bloody-" He was cut off when Emma's fist collided with his face. "-hell?"

**A/N Please let us know if you liked it! We LOVE reviews...**


	3. Chapter 3: Time Didn't stand still

**Chapter 3: Time didn't stand still**

* * *

"Next time I won't be so merciful." She snarled. Her fist hurt more than she expected.

He was slumped against the wall, rubbing his jaw and quietly swearing under his breath. "Your highness." It came out as a groan. "If it isn't too much too ask, could you please tell me what the hell that was for?"

"Think back, I'm sure you can remember a few things."

"One or two now that I think about it." He said jokingly, straightening up. She could see a red mark on his left cheek that looked to make a lovely bruise. "But none of them I thought would anger you like this." He looked at her sceptically, obviously doubting his own words now that he had experienced her temper.

"Then you were wrong about me."

Emma was aware of the eyes of the stable-hands on her. She glared at them, motioning for them to continue working, though she knew their ears were flapping at every word.

"I guessed."

That triggered something inside her, making her spin around. "You guessed! YOU GUESSED!" She looked at him with disgust. "Next time... Make me the first to hear of your fictional stories. And I would like you to speak to Philip about what you said. If he leaves because of you, I promise - I will make your life a_ living hell_."

And with that she left, slamming the wooden door shut behind her. Her thought were confused and strange, and her head hurt so bad she could hardly see. So even if she was listening, she wouldn't have heard his reply.

But the stable-hands did, and they found it very curious, though they hid it well, for they had a lot practice. But strangely enough, not one of them present went off and gossiped about it with their friends. Perhaps they could relate to what he said.

"It already is a living hell, your highness. It has been for a long time now."

* * *

Later, Emma lay in bed, trying and failing to get some sleep. She was hot and uncomfortable, knowing that if she had dozed off, her dreams would be horrible. So instead it seemed that she went through every tiny detail of her long day. It was hard to think of the good things when she had so many of the opposite to haunt her.

If Philip truly cared for her, then why had he given in to Hook's words so easily?

And why did Hook despise her enough to do such a thing? He couldn't believe his own horrid words about her, could he? Why would he? He didn't even know her.

Unless...

No. Emma rolled over, disturbed at that thought.

Unless he was trying to show her how much she truly was to Philip... But that couldn't be. They two were friends. And if there was one thing she knew about friends, they didn't do such things to each other. She never would to Graham.

There was something else she was missing...

Didn't she and Graham overhear Hook saying something was dangerous? What could be dangerous? He can't have meant her.

Her bruised hand ached in response.

Emma smirked.

* * *

The sun rose slowly, warming the castle until it was considerably more cheerful. She had a quiet breakfast in the parlour with her family. The silence was broken occasionally with polite conversation. She met her father's eye over the table. Noting while she did, that his meal too, was untouched. The look he gave her suggested that the two of them were going to have a nice conversation about her behaviour after they had finished. She didn't care much about whatever he had to say to her at that moment. What bothered her more was that he was worried, and when he was worried, there was trouble.

Emma just wished she knew what was going on, wished that they could trust her enough to tell her.

"So," Said Snow, yet again starting a conversation to prevent things from getting too awkward. "Do you have any ideas of what to name your child?"

Guiltily Emma realized that she had forgotten while she was caught up in her problems.

"Alondra for a girl, and Gabriel for a boy." Said Belle happily, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room.

"Beautiful names." Surprisingly, it wasn't Snow that had spoken, but there father. "But if you would excuse me for a moment, I would like to speak to Emma privately."

"Of course."

Emma stood and followed him to the next room, where he closed the door softly behind them to muffle their coming conversation.

"Emma I would like you to tell me the truth..." He said quietly. "Did you punch the man who came here with Prince Philip. The man who they call Hook?"

"Yes I did." She said without hesitation. _And I would do it again,_ she added silently.

"Why?"

"Or rather," Emma hoped she wasn't going too far saying this. "Why _wouldn't_ I?"

"He is a _guest_ in our home, and _you.._ you are a princess." He didn't even sound disappointed, just tired. "I know you don't like him. I don't either, I admit. But that is no call to start being violent. It is not the done thing to attack anyone you think is unpleasant. It's not like he's a criminal." "

She blushed guiltily, regretting it only because it was making things harder on her family. What would people think when they heard about her. Chances were, she would never find a husband with her behaviour. Hook was wrong about her wanting Philip's money. But perhaps he wasn't wrong about her being trouble.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again." She bowed her head, hoping it was the truth and she could contain herself.

Her father sighed. "Don't apologize to me, he is the one with the misfortune to cross you." There was the faintest hint of amusement in his blue eyes. "Go talk to_ him_ about it. I'm sure you of all people can come up with a feasible excuse."

"Of course."

"And Emma?"

She paused, her hand on the door. "Yes father?"

"Take another walk with Graham, it might help you to cool down a little. I'm sure Aurora would be very happy to come along too. She hasn't been out much lately."

Emma didn't mention that that was how it all started. She enjoyed walking, and her father might not think it was such a great idea if she told him all about it. "I will."

The first thing she thought as soon as she was away from everybody was, how on earth was she going to apologize to him? He was the one who should be doing that, not _her. _But... She supposed they were supposed to be kinda even now, that was, if he talked to Philip. It wasn't likely that he had, but she didn't even know him... She was starting to think that she knew Philip just as well.

Philip...

How was she going to forgive him? Even if he did change his mind, it just proved how very much he cared. It didn't seem to be all that much after all. Her eyes stung. Annoyed, Emma distracted herself by thinking of what to say as an apology. It only helped because it was so difficult. Eventually, after hanging around the gardens and coming up with nothing, she decided to wing it, and see what happened. After all, it wasn't as if she had much to lose with him. It was then that she realized that she had no idea of where to find him. She didn't even know his real name!

She refused to ask Graham. Obviously everybody already knew what had happened. How else did her father know? So she was saving that beautiful gift of talking to him about it later. This day seemed to get worse and worse. Maybe it would even beat yesterdays one.

Thankfully she was saved the trouble of actually looking for Hook, because she met him in the hall.

He had a large blue and green bruise on his cheek, just as she had predicted. Emma couldn't help but feel satisfied with it. For some reason, she still wanted to hit him.

"Oh... Hello." She said, trying not to meet him in the eyes. "I... I am sorry about yesterday." She lied awkwardly. "I was overreacting, and I shouldn't have hit you." She shifted uncomfortably as he listened. "It won't happen again..."

He waited, an eyebrow raised.

"...And I hope you get better, ah, soon." Not.

He didn't say anything for a long time, and Emma suspected that he was doing it to annoy her.

It worked.

_"WELL?"_ She snapped, unable to stand the silence.

"Ha! I knew it was only a matter of time before you came out. The _real_ you." He frowned for a millisecond. "Your father had you say that, didn't he?"

Emma was silent, biting her tongue to keep it that way.

He then pretended not to notice the absence of her answer. "You really can't have expected me to believe that bunch of lies you just threw at me." He casually leaned against the stone wall, watching servants carry baskets of freshly baked bread past them. "I mean, _"I hope you get better_" isn't really a strong argument, is it? Or even a very good apology actually." He looked thoughtful, casually scratching his chin. "Plus it was obvious that you wanted the opposite of that. You want to punch me again right now. And that isn't even me exaggerating."

"Shut up." She glared at him. "Did you talk to Philip?"

"You figure it out yourself. He's coming this way anyway." And then he was off again.

"No, I don't want to..." _see him._ She finished in her head.

Dammit!. She couldn't even fake an apology. She really needed to learn how to lie.

Funny, she always thought she was good at it. But instead, she was read like a book.

"Emma..." Philip was indeed close by, he looked embarrassed his eyes were on his feet. "Is there somewhere else we can talk?"

Emma struggled to stay angry at him. It was hard to keep that scowl on her face when he looked so sorry. "The garden." She said as coldly as possible.

"Uh... Lets go then." He offered his arm to assist her, which she ignored.  
"Emma I'm so sorry... About yesterday." He said in a low voice as Emma led him to the gardens. He was a step behind, probably remembering her offence last time. "I regret what I said to you more than you know. And I will regret it every day in my future. That is a promise." He paused as they passed some guards who were on duty by the entrance to the gardens.

It seemed that Philip was a far better liar than Emma.

"Then are you still leaving tomorrow?" She snapped. "Or are you just saying goodbye?"

Philip winced. They stood by the same stone bench as last time. Only neither of them sat down, instead they stood face to face.

"No, I changed my mind..." He avoided her eyes. "Hook will leave tonight, off back home."

"Go with him then. It's not as if anyone here will miss you. I know you want to run away from the danger."

Suddenly Philip was standing still, his fists clenched. "Emma, how do you know about that? Did Hook tell you."

Emma opened her mouth to deny it. And then she realised that she could use it to her advantage. "Yes. He did."

"Then you will understand what's at stake. Emma this isn't a game! If I stay here I put your whole family in danger!" He looked tired too, now that she thought about it. Why did nobody tell her anything? She was always the one left in the dark.

"Why?" It wasn't a single question, but all of her confusion put into one word.

"Wait..." He frowned. "He didn't really tell you did he?" Now he looked worried. "I need to know."

She was silent.

"God Emma!" He looked angry, very angry. He began pacing, his boots kicking up dirt. "No, no, no!" He muttered to himself as he paced. "He knows where I am... He knows where I am!"

"Philip?" Emma said cautiously. Trying not to let her panic rise. "What is it?"

He froze, as if coming to a decision. "Emma," Then he grabbed her hands, squeezing them. "Promise me... Promise me you will marry me when I return."

"Return?" Her voice sounded funny, like it wasn't her own. "What do you mean? I thought you were staying."

"I will be back in a day or two. Please Emma, promise me." He pleaded.

"I... I - Yes... I will."

He kissed her forehead quickly, and then straightened up. "Goodbye."

And then he was gone. Emma didn't see him leave, because her eyes were tearing up. She had sunk to knees, her head in her hands. She had no idea how long she sat like this, but eventually she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder.

"Princess? Are you all right?"

Emma looked up and recognised one of the palace guards.

"Yes," She wiped her eyes. "I'm fine."

* * *

_So do whatever it takes_  
_'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life_  
_Let nothing stand in your way_  
_'Cause the hands of time are never on your side_

* * *

They were all silent as they climbed the hill, as if there was a shadow hanging in the air.

The wind was salty and blowing hard, and the earth rumbled and shook as the waves pounded the shore. Emma had her shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders, trying to keep the chill out. Spring was almost over, but there were sometimes strange weather changes.

She should be happy, she was going to marry Philip. It was a dream come true, but still Emma couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. It was almost like a bad smell. What was happening under her nose? If only Hook hadn't left yet, then she would ask him, and perhaps gain some more insight on what was going on.

Emma saw Aurora smile weakly at several rabbits bouncing into their holes.

It was really a odd day, Emma kept finding herself sweeping the cliffs with searching looks. It seemed Graham was waiting for something to happen too, but in the end it was Aurora who was the first to see anything of importance.

"Look!" She pointed to somewhere close to the forest. "It's Philip. I... thought you said he was leaving for a few days Emma?"

"Uh huh."

"Someone else is with him." Graham noted. His eyebrows drawn together, looking worried.

Emma couldn't see the second person, and didn't care.

She didn't care about anything except what was unfolding before her eyes.

Philip had crumpled to the ground as if his strings were cut, and it was not too hard too see something that looked horribly like the hilt of a dagger sticking out of his chest. He didn't move after he fell.

He never moved again.

Any screams were lost in the wind, snatched away and never heard.

Time didn't stand still, the waves still crashed and roared. The sun continued its slow descent over the horizon. The seagulls continued their screeching and squabbling over fish carcasses. So why did Emma feel as if everything was over?

Time didn't stand still.

And then Graham was running faster than she thought was possible down the hill, but it was too late. He was gone forever. Even his killer was turning away, looking as if it was no big deal.

As if he did it every day.

It was Hook.

Time didn't stand still.

He was gone by the time Graham got there.

* * *

No time for goodbye he said  
As he faded away  
Don't put your life in someone's hands  
They're bound to steal it away  
Don't hide your mistakes  
'Cause they'll find you, burn you

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	4. Chapter 4: Run for your life

**Hope you guys like this next chapter!**

_If I stay, it won't be long_  
_'Til I'm burning on the inside_  
_If I go I can only hope_  
_That I make it to the other side_  
_If I stay, it won't be long_  
_'Til I'm burning on the inside_  
_If I go, and if I go_

* * *

Nobody questioned why Hook would do such a thing, nobody stopped to think that it wasn't right. Nothing was right.

Nobody except Aurora. But who would listen to her? They were all caught up in their own little worlds.

_He should have run, he should have listened._ The same thought went through her head over and over. She had been having strange dreams, which were expected after what had happened. Everything now felt like deja vu. Every second of every day, as if she had dreamt of the future but then forgotten.

Nothing was as it seemed. Even what she had seen with her own eyes was a lie. She could feel it, so why couldn't they? They were looking with their eyes and not following instinct.

Philip dying wasn't meant to have happened.

They needed to_ listen. _Even for one moment. Why couldn't she have had a brother? She needed someone to confide in... Someone who understood and didn't think she was raving.

"Father," She pleaded, trying to get his attention as he wrote quick messy writing on a piece of parchment. He hadn't slept, she could tell. He was looking exhausted and worried even before Philip's death. "Please listen, something is wrong. Can't you feel it?"

He didn't look up, or even cease scrawling. He dipped his quill in ink and continued. "Of course I know there is something _wrong_. One of my guests was just _murdered_ on my land. This isn't just a common killing. _This could cause war_."

When Philip's parents heard, who knew what they would do?

War wouldn't actually be surprising. Soldiers had been sent to track down Hook, but who knew where he was going? The blame would fall on her family.

"But..." She trailed off, he wasn't going to listen no matter what she said, because he was right. Maybe she was just imagining things...

Still it continued.

_He should have run, he should have listened._

His body had been carried back to the castle, he had been wrapped in a blanket they had in the saddlebags.

Emma had refused to look at him. She had been white and drained, as if all the life had been sucked out of her. The sun, almost mocking, had peeped out from behind the clouds, almost as if the world felt that the worst was over, and it could bring warmth back.

If only it was that simple.

She didn't even say a word. Not even one quiet word.

It was just _wrong._

* * *

Emma had shut herself in her room, the door locked.

No one tried to make her come out, though Aurora seemed to be trying to tell her something once..._ "Wrong, it is all wrong."_ Emma didn't even care. She couldn't care.

He was gone.

She had seen it happen again and again in her head. It didn't stop. It never stopped. The pain wasn't ever going to stop.

_He didn't move after he fell._

_He never moved again._

She was going to spend the rest of her life with him. And now it was impossible.

Emma screamed into her pillow, not stopping until her throat felt raw.

Time continued when everything was meant to end.

* * *

Graham had spent the last few hours trying to keep everything together. A lot of the guests were panicking. No matter how many times he tried to explain that the killer was gone, and was likely never to come back, they kept arguing with him.

Why did he choose this over a comfortable life away from the fighting and war?

"Listen to me," His patience was now at the breaking point. They didn't want to see him angry. "He has no reason to come back, let alone come back and kill any of _you_."

"When did that stop any murderers?" The flustered Duke muttered, his eyes popping. "The Prince wasn't the only one was he? There were other deaths, before him! How do we know who is next? It could be any one of us..."

Graham glowered. When would it end. Every time he thought he could relax and have no worries, something like this came up. It was like god was against him.

"What would you be doing right now if you were me?" He growled, his teeth clenched. "Don't you think I have already done my best?"

"Maybe it isn't enough!"

But Graham was already storming off. Little did that man know how close he was to being pummelled.

Inches away.

It was true that there were other deaths. They had started about a week ago, spread throughout the city. It was always the same. A dagger to the heart, they weren't connected in any way that he knew of.

It was like someone was trying to scare them.

He thought of the panicking duke. It was sure was working.

The funny thing was, the killing had started before Hook and Prince Philip had arrived. Several days before.

He can't have been the one responsible for the rest of the dying.

And who was "Hook" anyway?

Why was this happening?

Would there be more deaths?

And where was Emma? Was she ever going to come out of hiding?

Time could heal anything he was told a long time ago. He had believed it once. He was foolish... Young and gullible. He had thought the pain of death was when you yourself suffered. Not when others were ripped away from you.

He still felt the pain.

Would it be the same for Emma?

His head hurt.

He was beginning to regret not punching that man. Maybe it wasn't too late?

* * *

When she dreamt of him, it wasn't the grown up him, the one she was going to marry.

It was him as a child. When they had no secrets from each other. Before the distance between them began to grow.

_"Remember me, Emma." He said in her dream. "And don't do anything stupid. Some things aren't as they seem." They were playing in the long grass. Wooden animals were scattered around the flowers, where they would be forgotten about until the gardener found them and returned each one._

_"I don't understand." The child Emma was confused, fiddling with a daisy chain. "Why are you saying that?"_

_The child Philip smiled. "You _will_ understand, when the time is right." He stood up, dropping his toys. "Lets go see if we can have some cake, I'm sure I smell something good."_

_And then they had ran through the sunlit grass, shouting and laughing._

When Emma woke she was curled up in a ball shaking, but feeling different.

Not exactly _better_, just different.

She was no longer going to cry and grieve.

She was angry. It rose and grew inside her until she could no longer stand it. She knew where Hook was going, from the memory of the last conversation she had with... with Philip.

_"Hook will leave tonight, off back home."_

Home.

She knew where Philip lived, she had been there once with her family. She remembered vaguely a kingdom, much like this one, only larger and noisier, with strange colours and different sweets she had never had before.

And then she leapt up wildly, throwing her covers off.

She was dizzy from lack of movement or food, and almost toppled over.

A moment later she was opening her jewellery box and grabbing the most expensive looking bracelets and strings of pearls. She stuffed them into a pillowcase, cleaning all of them out of her drawers. And then her hand hovered over a large ruby on a gold chain.

It was beautiful, shiny and cool, with clean lines. Her parents had given it to her for her seventh birthday, and it was the only jewel she had ever loved.

And then after a split seconds hesitation, she lifted it over her head and tucked it beneath her shirt.

This was the only one she wasn't going to sell.

_"And don't do anything stupid. Some things aren't as they seem." _The voice echoed.

"I'm sorry Philip," She muttered dryly. "But being stupid is kinda my thing."

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	5. Chapter 5: troubled waters

The dark cold sky was beginning to show the first light of dawn, but the birds didn't sing. Time didn't stand still, and never would, not for any man or woman.

But still... Anyone with a heart or brain was holding their breath, waiting in suspense for that moment that would change their future. It wasn't conscious. It wasn't even noticed by most. It was one of those things you only realised you were doing when it was over.

Something was happening.

The guard at the gate shifted uneasily, his mail clinking when he scanned the darkness for any sign of life. Nothing. He almost wished someone would attack him and end the suspense.

It seemed to be eternity before it was time for his shift to end. He was tired, and and annoyed. Why did some bastard decide to cause this much trouble by killing a guest on this day? Why not tomorrow, and then he could rest a little.

No doubt he would be assigned with twice his usual work in the morning.

He yawned.

Was it his pure bad luck? Or just perfect timing?

The moment was chosen for a small figure in black to slip past him, out into the darkness.

* * *

Trying to catch at least an hour of sleep before he rose at dawn was almost impossible. As soon as he had lay down, all of his fatigue was gone and he just wanted some action. Graham punched his hard pillow, annoyed.

And then, after a long time something happened.

He had been dozing uneasily, his dreams strange and confusing, and then unexpectedly they changed.

_He was outside in his dream, which wasn't really surprising, because that was his usual place to wander in spare time. Anywhere alone._

_It was dark and the air was cool and silent. Silent of any living creature, not even a bird sang. It felt very familiar._

_He was hurrying towards the gate, slipping in and out of the shadows, a pack on his back and a knife at his belt. For some strange reason he was doing his best to avoid guards at all costs. That was a little funny, seeing as he was one himself._

_And then he glanced up to a window on the castle wall, it was his own room._

_It was like he was saying goodbye._

_And then the window lit up, and a figure stood by the window, looking in his direction._

_"I'm sorry Graham." He said, turning away. It wasn't his voice. It was a higher, softer voice. And it was familiar._

_It was... It was..._

"Emma...?" Graham leapt up, groaning as he clutched his head.

He lighted the bedside lamp, his heart beating like a drum.

He was scanning the courtyard from his window, looking at the exact place he was moments before standing in his dream. It was too dark to see anything for sure, but if he was right, then he thought he saw a flash of movement.

It wasn't until just then that he realised. He had done everything he had already seen himself do from Emma's eyes.

He swore inwardly, trying to make some sense out of it.

Even though he had always doubted it, perhaps he had been wrong. Perhaps there really were gods after all.

The question was... Were they on his side?

Or maybe this was something else. Magic. It had hardly been used for years, not even Rumpelstiltskin casted a spell a spell to light a candle these days.

Of course, some still used it... But usually only for dark means. Graham had tried to keep it from happening as much as possible. This hadn't felt dark, it was something else. He had seen the future, if only for a moment.

Why did he go back to bed, letting her get away?

_Why did he go back to bed, letting her get away?_

He was shown her leaving so he didn't go after her. Because she had to go.

He could pass it off as a strange coincidence. But... He was never the type to do such things, because what would be the fun in that?

He was going to be in so much trouble when the King and Queen heard.

If he could actually bring himself to tell them.

* * *

The princess stumbled through the darkness, her heart pounding like a drum. Icy wind whipping at her face. She could hear the sea, hissing and crashing against the cliffs. The night was still and cold her breath made a steamy cloud.

She paused to look back at the castle. It seemed nobody had noticed her disappearance yet. That should have made her feel happy, but instead a part of her wished someone had, so they could find her and drag her back home, preventing her from perhaps making the biggest mistake of her life.

But nobody came to find her. They slept peacefully, unaware of what the dawn would bring them.

She was alone.

Emma wished Graham was there, he would know what to say to her, he seemed to always know how to make her feel better. How could she do this to him? To her family? Her eyes began to sting and she felt a lump in her throat as she took one last look at her home.

The faintest hints of dawn were beginning to touch the sky. Soon the sun would be up and the castle would be bathed in soft light. When she was a child she used to get up just before dawn and run outside, just to watch it rise.

Emma turned away.

She didn't look back after that, only ahead.

The docks were often one of the busiest places in the kingdom, always filled with excited newcomers, locals selling goods and squawking seagulls. It was full of life. The sun was just climbing above the horizon as Emma weaved through the crowds of bustling people. A few fisherman gave her wary glances muttering to each other.

Emma quickened her pace, she couldn't have them recognising her. Any moment now someone was going to notice her missing. There were probably search parties out looking for her already.

It was hard to get a ship to take her, none of them wanted a woman on board. Big surprise.

Emma growled, marching away from a particularly rude mannered captain.

Then she noticed there was a merchant's ship about to leave the harbour. It looked a little more promising.

The captain was a tall man in his late thirties, with brown hair streaked with grey tied back in a short pony tail. Obviously a foreigner. He barked orders to his men as they hurried around preparing the ship to sail.

Emma took her hood off as she approached him, trying too look authoritative. It took a little while and a lot of her bounty to convince him, but she got there in the end. The plan was that he was going to drop her off close to where Philip lived. She would find other means of transport once she arrived. There was going to be a long trip over solid land too. He accepted her hefty payment of gold rings and jewelled necklaces grudgingly, but she could see his eyes gleam. She knew he was thinking of what else she had in that bag.

She had better keep a close eye on her belongings. He was not someone she wanted to cross.

She added him to her long list.

Right now she had to worry about being found by her family, not a complete stranger after her gold, she could handle him later.

She was lucky that the ship left twenty minutes later, so there wasn't any immediate discovery of her escape.

She was escorted to her room by one of the sailors, who was constantly muttering under his breath about god-knows-what, but it was probably rude. She didn't try to make conversation, only bowed her head and tried to look small and scared. It was a trick, and a clever one. People were naturally less likely to be suspicious of woman if they were stupid and afraid of anything and everything.

Idiots.

Apparently she was going to travel in the hold, with the stores. When she stepped into the dark room, the door was slammed shut behind her. The first thing she noticed was the smell. She scrunched her nose. It was old fish and something sour. And then her eyes adjusted and she noticed the suspiciously greasy looking hammock that was slung up by the barrels.

There was a bag of food she supposed was meant for her, as she was told "not to damn touch" the barrels. It could then only be one thing. Her lunch. The loaf of bread were mouldy and the once fresh delicious bags of apples were brown and wrinkly, everything looked well past its time. Emma sighed, she would have to get used to not being waited on hand and foot.

She didn't sleep much that night, afraid of what it might bring her. Or the next night... It was a difficult trip. When she wasn't having nightmares and thinking of different way to kill Hook. The sway of the ship got to her, and she throwing up any small meals she had managed to swallow.

Dark thoughts always were roaming through her head. Could she really kill a man?

And then... Came the real question, could she forgive herself if she did?

She would wake up every night, drenched in sweat and cold to the bone. It didn't get better when she was awake, just more bearable.

That evil bastard...

She promised herself not to cry, at least not until she finished what was started.

She often had to remind herself of that promise.

Finally she couldn't stand being in the dark hold any more. She rolled out of her hammock, her breathing uneven. After fumbling with her jacket, she straightened up and tugged at a couple of strands of tangled hair, she really should have brought a comb.

No... She lifted her chin. She was no longer princess Emma, the naive girl who was untouched by grief and sorrow... Innocent and gullible. The Emma who had loved.

She paused in her train of thought, her brow wrinkled. Who was this new woman who had taken over her body? Certainly a stranger. Her moves were now wild and unpredictable. Who was she?  
She didn't even know anymore...

That scared her.

She shrugged it off, and abandoned her attempt to look reasonable, if it grew too untidy, she could always cut it off.

When she stepped onto the scrubbed deck of the ship, out of the darkness she had grown accustomed to, she had to pretend that the light of day wasn't hurting her eyes. The crew all gave her sidelong glances, muttering to each other.

It was the crack of dawn, dark cold and wet, the fine mist soaking everything. It seemed like heaven compared to her dirty uncomfortable hammock. She breathed in the salty air, watching the sea through the shroud.

Was she making a mistake?

There was that familiar hollow ache in her chest. The feeling of loss. She would never see him again, soon the image of him in her mind would begin to fade, and she would have nothing left. Nothing but a broken heart and the thought of revenge.

It was easier to just not feel at all, easier to shut out her emotions and let something calm and deadly steal over her. She tried not to let that happen because it scared her...

The waves were crashing against the ship in a familiar rhythm. It was the sound she heard night and day for four days. The sea had not calmed, the waves roared in the night, often succeeding to toss her out of her hammock.

Sometimes it sounded more like a voice whispering from the darkest depths of the ocean, she blamed it on lack of sleep and food. There was once a time when the sound of the sea was a calming beautiful sound, but right now it only reminded her of what was to come. She thought about before any of this happened and it seemed like an eternity ago.

A man pushed past her, elbowing her in the stomach. "Out of my way scum."

"What did you just call me?" Emma snarled, her anger sparked.

He was a large man in his forties with a red nose and yellow sharp looking teeth. "Scum that's what I called you..."

Emma clenched her fists, feeling her fingernails dig into her palm. She forced herself to walk away, over to where some sailors were hauling in a load of fish. She felt sick. It was hard not being the boss. It was hard to ignore him, it was hard to keep from crying...

Because it was easy to believe him.

This was all her fault, she was stupid and headstrong. She was probably going to die. What did she care if she had an early grave? She cared that he knew that she would break easily. He knew she was going to fall for his trap.

She spun around.

Then she was punching him as hard as she could.

It definitely helped to wipe that stupid grin off his face.

He eyes were momentarily glazed over, and he looked stunned. He recovered faster than she expected. It must have been the sea air. A few seconds later they had cleared up. And he looked angrier than ever. "How dare you!" he raised his fist, advancing forwards.

She noted offhandedly that he was a least five inches taller than her.

"That's enough of that." The captain was behind her suddenly. "I will not tolerate this aboard my ship."

"He insulted me!" Emma spat.

"You will address me as "Captain" and with respect, If you know what's good for you."

The large man she had punched grinned at her, in way that of course was easy to mistake for a wince of pain. "Unnatural, it is... A woman travelling alone, I knew she was trouble as soon as she set foot on this ship. And now look at what's happened, she attacked me!" He rubbed his cheek, hissing.

"I'm warning you... I don't like liars." Emma said icily.

A hand grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled, yanking her head back. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" The captain spat, his anger was likely an act. He was probably happy for entertainment from his usually boring crew.

"He deserved it."

There was a sharp tug on her hair, and she tried not to wince. "If you apologise to him then we can forget that it ever happened." The captain stated.

"Apologise to him? Emma hissed. "I don't think so. I don't like making enemies... But when I do, I will not forgive or show mercy." She grinned. "I'm currently seeking out the most recent devil. I'm going to kill him."

There was a short silence...

"Good luck with finding someone who is going to help a little witch like you. There wont be anyone stupid enough to here." She heard a chuckle. "And to make things more interesting, I'm throwing you off right now."

"You wouldn't dare."

* * *

She was wrong. He did dare.

They were throwing her off the ship. Literally.

The ship was close to land, where they were stopping for supplies in a small town on the coast. She learnt this not from having the privileged of being told, but from the privilege of having eavesdropping skills. Which she put to use often in the castle.

The Captain and his crew could kick her off when the stopped at the docks, and that way she could find someone else to take her, though it would be a waste of money and she would need to use her manners a little more. But of course they couldn't be kind and just let her go. Oh no.

First they took all of her possession, then they decided to face her with a challenge that the captain had apparently done in his youth.

Maybe next time she should take a moment to think things through before opening her mouth. Or accidentally punching people who happened to insult her. Vaguely she remembered the incident with Hook. Except that one time... she wouldn't change a thing.

They tied ropes around her ankles and wrists, tightly enough to burn. They loosened her ankles after some debate, or it would be called plain murder. Then they found the blunt most chipped and rusted fish scaling knife she had ever seen, and put the handle between her teeth.

"Look on the bright side, at least we are giving you a chance." The captain whispered in her ear, all the while looking absolutely delighted. "And if you do manage to get free, then I don't envy the poor soul who is going to have to deal with you."

"Mmmm..." Was all Emma could say.

Two of the crew lifted a struggling Emma up.

A seconds later she was flying through open space.

How did she manage to get into this position... Again?

That was definitely a story for another time. When she wasn't so occupied.

She hit the icy cold water.

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	6. Hold your breath and count to ten

**Chapter 7: Hold your breath and count to ten**

* * *

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she just gave up?

Everything would be so much easier if she stopped struggling and went with the tides, letting the ocean take her. She would drift through the sea like a ghost, die trying to take back what she had lost when she was doomed to fail. She would ever get him back.

Not in this lifetime.

She had always spent long spaces of time underwater, and her lungs were used to the lack of air... so she would have to pay with a slow death.

She counted the things she was going to miss when she died. She counted the things she had always put aside, thinking she had plenty of time to do, but now never could. She counted the years she was blessed with, and the ones that she was losing,

Only one thing made her open her eyes and want to survive.

Belle's child... She would never meet him.

If fate had brought her here to drown, then it was going to be changed. She wasn't just words on a page, ready to be manipulated at the will of strangers, gods or not... They were still strangers to her. She controlled her own life, and was going to love again.

Surprisingly the knife was still between her teeth, and though it was going to hard to escape death when she was so close, it wasn't impossible. It had been done before, if she could believe those damned fishermen... At least they had the grace to give her "chance", though it was small. She wasn't angry at the sailors, she pitied them. They were human, and they were afraid, and what do humans do when they're afraid? They try to get rid of the danger.

But they had given her a chance, and by doing that they had saved her life. A chance was more than Philip had.

A ray of sunlight shone through the water, making it sparkle and glitter above her.

She forgave them.

The ropes were thick and swollen... In any other circumstance she would probably give up after failing to cut even the first layer. But these ropes had been rotting for years on-board that smelly ship, so she for once got lucky.

* * *

When Emma broke the surface of the choppy water, she was gasping and coughing for air. Weakly she tried to stay above while the tumbling waves tried to force her down again. She needed to get to dry land before her body decided to give up.

While underwater she had somehow drifted closer to the island, where they were going to stop by... before she was thrown off.

There was the familiar smell of fish in the air, but also the scent of freshly baked bread had drifted over the expanse of water. Several fishing boats were anchored around her, and seagulls screeched and flapped around searching for scraps in the distance,

Emma still clutched the fish scaling knife in her hand. It was a poor weapon, but it was a weapon nonetheless. She bit into the handle and began the hard swim for land.

She found herself counting her breathing as she swam.

In. Out. In. Out.

One. two. Three. Four...

_She was going to make it... she was going to make it...she was going to make it..._

Hours or days past by.

Or was it just minutes?

Finally her feet touched soft sand and shells. She almost collapsed and let the tide wash onto the shore. Instead she gritted her teeth and walked the rest of the way.

* * *

"Emma..." The Queen stood outside her daughters door the same morning Emma left. It was early, before anyone else except the servants were up. She held a tray balanced in her hand, her hand poised to knock. There were more grey streaks in her hair than usual. "Emma, I've brought you breakfast... I know you don't want to eat, but please just try... Do that for me, and you don't have to come out today. You can stay in bed."

There was silence.

The Queen sighed. The teacups clinked as she carefully placed the tray down.

Snow sat down too, her back against the door and her voice soft and low. She wasn't the Queen just then, she was Emma's mother. "You loved him didn't you?" She closed her eyes, feeling sick. "You loved him and then he left you."

She paused, drifting off to possible futures that were now lost. "I can't imagine what I would do if... If I were you." She thought about it for a moment, her lips pursed and her eyes shining. "I would probably hunt the killer down and end his life right then..." She said with a spark of rage.

And then realisation struck her.

_No..._

"Oh Emma, " She stood up, her face chalky. _"What are you doing?"_

But the queen already knew. Emma was too much like her mother than it was good for her. Far too much.

_Whatever you do Emma, don't kill him. It will ruin you for the rest of your life. Don't do it._

* * *

"Don't do it."

Emma paused, a orange fruit in her hand.

A little boy was standing a couple of paces away from Emma. He was frowning and pointing at the fruit she was holding.

After had rested on the beach for a few minutes, she had wandered the village, too weary to notice the unfamiliar people and their strange home. The hours had passed slowly, and the shadow had lengthened. Soon darkness would fall completely, she needed food and shelter. After failing to swap her knife for a loaf of bread, she had come across a tree which was loaded with ripe fruit. It was dropping off before her eyes into the long grass, but nobody touched it. It wasn't near anybodies house, so she had assumed that it was a local tree. It couldn't hurt to take one or two.

"I'm telling you, you don't want to do that." He seemed smug.

"Why?" She arched an eyebrow, and then pocketed the fruit. "Do you know who owns it?"

The little boy smirked. "Nobody. It's poisonous."

"Oh?" Just her luck, saved from one disaster, only to stumble across another. "Well thank you. I believe you just saved my life." She smiled to him and turned away. What now? She had a couple of choices. She could find someone who recognised her as Princess Emma, and was willing to take her home for a reward... She could find a job to do at this place, and then live out the rest of her life here. Or she could beg borrow and steal her way to Hook and then kill him.

She was liking the latter the most.

"Why do I feel like you don't think it's a big deal?" He had followed her. "Me saving your life I mean..."

She didn't look down, but she knew he was struggling to keep pace with her long stride. "Well _isn't _really a big deal..." She drifted off as she came into the village centre. There was a fountain, where women were filling buckets of fresh clear water, they did it quickly before the dimming light disappeared.

She was thirsty.

"... Not that your warning wasn't appreciated." Emma added, she knelt by the large stone basin of running water. Of course she earned a few funny looks from the people there, but that was nothing compared to what she had been through the past week. After drinking the wonderful cold liquid greedily, she wiped her chin with her already wet sleeve. She sure was a mess, and it was getting cold. A pity she had lost her cloak along with all her gold and jewels.

"Why are you still here?" She frowned at the child who was watching her curiously. "If you are expecting payment... Then you are going to be disappointed. I own nothing save the ruined clothing on my back. I wager you wont want them anyway... They smell like fish."

There was a short pause, and then the boy moved forwards. "I only want to know why you still have the poisonous fruit in your pocket. Anyone with half a mind would throw it as far away as possible. One bite and you die within minutes. Anyone... " His eyes gleamed. "...But you. So why do you keep it?"

"Were you ever taught to mind your own business?" Emma did't need to fake the annoyance in her voice.

He smiled. "Were _you _ever taught to repay favours, especially ones as important as this?"

Emma frowned, crossing her arms. She would tell him anything just to make him leave her alone. "I kept it because sometime ago I came to the conclusion that I might want to eat it if I get into a _really_ tight situation." She sighed. "I'm guessing it would be quicker than drowning after being literally thrown off a ship, with both my arms and legs bound. Only a blunt fish scaling knife to keep me company."

That managed to silence him momentarily.

"Excuse me... But may I ask you to move out of the way a little?" Emma didn't look up at the voice, just nodded tiredly and stood up, letting him past her to the fountain. She glanced round and realised that the crowd of women were leaving, lugging their buckets of water along. The square was almost empty now, and the air was chilly. The moon gave Emma enough light to see by. "Off you go then." She grumbled to the boy. "I've had enough of your pestering... I think you should go home to your mother now." She was uncomfortably itchy and cold in her damp salty clothing. "There are some better things I could be doing with my time anyway." Like finding food.

"So that's why you're all wet...you went for a little swim in the ocean." He clucked his tongue at her and then ran off, disappearing into the crowd of people. Probably cutting every purse in sight, at least he cant have robbed Emma when she had nothing of value.

And then she remembered something... She did! She still wore her ruby and gold pendant under her tunic. Nobody had thought to search there when they were taking her things. Maybe she wouldn't starve after all!

She turned back to the fountain smiling to herself, and then came face to face with Hook.

_Well it took long enough... _But why wasn't he running? Surely he expected a troop of soldiers to appear behind her, but then again... He must have guessed from her clothing that she was alone. No princess should be allowed to look like she did just then.

To any passers by that were watching, it wasn't comfortable or pleasant situation. A cat screeched somewhere in the street, and the moon came out from behind a cloud.

"Emma?" He definitely looked shocked, but he was missing the expression she wanted to see the most on his face. Pain."What are you doing here?... _And what are you wearing?_" He was holding a full waterskin in his left- no... his only hand. He must have been the man who wanted to get past her.

Typical, she risked her life to find him, and then when she finally did have the chance... she almost missed it.

Her first reaction was to close her mouth. And then she dug into her pocket and puled out the fruit. It was a long, with soft orange flesh and black speckles. She silently held it out to him.

_Eat._

She was only slightly disappointed when he shook his head, looking confused. Of course he wasn't going to accept... But that was good thing, she wanted him to die slowly, poison would end in minutes. She wanted it to last for days.

Calmly she pocketed the fruit, and took something else out instead. Something worth much more than the bread she had attempted to trade it for...

And then she stabbed him in the leg.

He doubled over in pain. "Well... I should have known..." He groaned and dropped the heavy leather waterskin on the dirt with a thud. "...That you wouldn't exactly be friendly after our last encounter."

Emma sneered and lunged for him, the knife raised yet again.

He ducked. "... But still, you could have at least graced me... with a hello."

"Hello Hook..." She growled. "killed anyone recently? Or have you decided to take a break, just until everything settles down?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Forgotten already?" She managed the kick him in the shin. "It was less than a week ago."

"Forgotten _what?" _Obviously he was beginning to get annoyed now. Or maybe the pain of his wound only just kicked in.

"_KILLING HIM!_ I _saw_ you do it... there's no point in keeping up the act." It suddenly all felt real. This was no longer the nightmare she had pretended she was going to wake from. This was real. Philip was dead, and it was too late to wake up now. "Murderer!" It was all too real.

She had the dagger at his throat now, and the only thing that was stopping her from ending his life right then... was his hook.

_"Who did you see me kill?"_ He whispered.

"Philip!" She snapped at him, still trying to get the knife past his metal hand.

.It didn't work.

He twisted the knife out of her hand and got both of her arms behind her back within seconds. She couldn't see him, and she couldn't break free, but she still kicked and screamed.

_"Sorry about this..."_ She heard him say.

There was a sharp pain on her head. And then everything went black.

**PLEASE REVIEW or Follow it means a lot to me:)**


	7. Chapter 7: Tricksters

Chapter 7: Tricksters

The wind was cool, almost chilly. It was a relief being so high up... Away from the chaos below.

Aurora was standing on the highest wall on the castle with her arms spread like a bird ready to fly. She was facing towards the sea. It was her only escape, to hear only the wind in her ears and feel the cool stone beneath her bare feet.

Her eyes were tightly closed, if she opened them then the trance would be broken, and she would see the rising tides and be weighed down once more by worry for her sister, worry that she would never see her family whole and happy again.

If she opened her eyes then reality would come back to her, and everything that she held tightly to her heart would drain away like it had never been.

She wished Emma had taken her too, and then at least she could know... Know if Hook really did kill Philip. She had seen him do it with her own eyes, it can't have been a trick... Or even an illusion. She recognised magic when she saw it, and that wasn't any spell.

Maybe she was just seeing the good in everyone. Even the killer of one of her friends.

Maybe she was wrong.

But still it continued...

_He should have listened. He should have run._

She began to wonder if she was going mad, and all of her good senses had died along with Philip.

And maybe she was right.

Her fathers soldiers were searching the land for the runaway princess and Hook... There had been no sign of either of them. How was it possible that Emma wasn't found after the first hour of her disappearance? Maybe it was because she managed to sneak around unnoticed for years, it was something Aurora never could manage, and maybe that was why Emma didn't offer for her to come along.

It was logical, but still... She felt a sudden sadness that she wasn't told. It seemed like nobody whispered a word to her about anything that was going on, she was always known as the delicate frail girl who didn't understand things like sorrow, and death. She pretended that she oblivious to the fact that they were on the very brink of war. It was hard, and everything she did was becoming more and more like an act. Even though she didn't show it, she was as wild and brave as Emma, she just kept it inside all of her life... But now she wanted to come out of hiding, she wanted to spread her wings and fly.

She felt like it was possible just then. Possible to jump, and instead of falling to the ground, broken... She would fly free among the clouds.

It was impossible... But it still tempted her.

And as if the gods had heard her, there was a strong gust of wind... like they were encouraging her to try it. She was then knocked off-balance, and her eyes flew open. She was closer to the edge than she thought... She should have toppled over the brink, but instead... Arms seemed to have wrapped around her waist tightly, and a voice whispered in her ear.

_"The time will come for you to fly away, little dove, it's just not now..."_

She looked up, her hair waving wildly in the wind...

And then she smiled.

Nothing.

It was dark... And cold.

She shivered...

There was a pounding in her head, it kept in time with her heartbeat.

One. Two...

_A flash of light and an unfamiliar voice._

...One. Two... One. Two...

Someone was pressing a wet cloth to her head.

She probably wasn't dead then. Was that even a good thing?

And she opened her eyes. A lot of memories hit her at once, all trying to get her attention. Only one was important enough to stick in her mind. Hook was getting away, and she was wasting time taking a nap!

"Where am I?" She tried to sit up, but was forced down again by a hand. She must have been pretty weak to collapse again. Darn it.

She looked around, and could just see that she was in a dark room lit by a single lantern. She was lying on a hammock in the corner of the room, and she appeared to be inspected by a weary looking old man. He was holding a cloth in his hand, and there was a bowel of murky water on the table by the lamp.

"You're in a ship..." He turned, stooping to pick up something off the floor. A tattered hat. "...And it's almost ready to take you home. Princess. We leave in the morning."

Oh.

She thought she had recognised the sway of the world around her. Or perhaps that was just her head playing tricks on her.

Emma sighed wearily. There was a bit of relief in it. Or a lot.

She was going to see her family again. After everything, she really was going to step into the castle, and hug her mother father, and sisters again. The corners of her mouth curled at the thought of what her punishment would be. Her father would have a hard time thinking of something worthy of her.

"Did my parents send you?" She tried to sit up again, and this time succeeded. Perhaps it wasn't such a good thing, because she felt ready to hurl. "How did they know I was here? I didn't even know myself until a couple of hours ago."

"They didn't send us. We were asked to take you home by a friend."

Emma deflated. She rested her elbows on her knees, her head in her hands. "Who?" It was muffled.

But she already suspected who did...

"Oh..." He seemed hesitant.

"Was it Hook?" She looked up. The name tasted bad in her mouth, and she said it with a poisonous sneer. "Was it!?"

He looked confused. "Hook?" He frowned, and then his face cleared. "Oh, you mean... Yes. It was him. "

Emma stood up, her jaw set. She only swayed a little on her feet. As much as she wanted to give up, she had come to close to success to let him go. Just because she failed this battle, it didn't mean she lost the war.

She ignored the fact that she was only alive because he let her go, and he had even taken the pains to get her home. But if he believed it would stop her, then he was not using his head.

"Where's my knife?" She said slowly, knowing it was pointless to ask.

"It is, of course, no use to you now..." He moved in front of the door, in an attempt to stop her from passing.

"I don't want to hurt you, old man. So move out of the way." She said through gritted teeth.

He laughed. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm not that weak."

"And neither am I..." He straightened up, and the way he stood was familiar. It was how Graham and her father positioned themselves when something was getting serious. Alert. Like they were getting ready for a fight, though they rarely needed to. He didn't seem so old anymore, and she realized that he had been chosen the escort her home for a reason.

She probably would never beat him, not even if she was at her healthiest. The last time she had a proper meal was before Philip died. She was was weak and tired. It didn't help that she had been sick for days on board the ship. That was good enough excuse to go with him, she needed her strength up.

She wanted to go home.

Emma was about to give in, and then something in his eyes changed. They grew brighter, and then he stepped out of the way.

"Funny how many times you get yourself into a fix." He said. And then he motioned for her to leave with a wave of his hand. "One might wonder if it was deliberate..."

She didn't give it a second thought, she was glad to leave.

_One might wonder if it was deliberate..._

But she felt cold, cold to the bone.

The ship was still docked and the gangplank was down. When Emma stepped onto the deck she was ignored by the crew. Nobody tried to stop her from leaving...

The moon lit up the ship and it looked ghostly and dark. It gave the sailors a hollow-eyed look.

Emma wandered the cold empty docks for some time, desperately hoping that he hadn't fled again. The silence was only broken by the sound of the waves pounding the shoreline. She should have been sick of the roar of water by now... But instead, she found it offered the only comfort in her life.

She shivered. Her head hurt, and she was so so...

So tired.

Emma stumbled, and kicked something in the darkness. She winced and bit her lip to hold in the yelp of pain. Her foot throbbed, and she wondered if she had broken her toe.

She felt around with trembling fingers in the darkness until she touched the side of something wooden. When the half moon came out again she realised it was a little lifeboat, probably not moved onto a ship yet. It had a chain tying it to the docks. A white sail was spread over and knotted down by thick ropes.

All Emma could think was that it looked just like her bed back home.

And then she began picking at the knots of the ropes until one gave way. There was enough room for her to wriggle and squeeze under the cover and into the little boat, landing on the bottom painfully. She tied it up again loosely so she had a way out. And then she curled up around a rather smelly blanket

She still struggled to breath, to calm the frantic beating of her heart and let loose the choking fear. Nothing had scared her as much as the look in the man's eyes and the sudden change of his harsh voice. He had no longer sounded like the worn out old man that was first apparent. The mocking, cold bright look in his eyes didn't seem quite... Human. Like he was possessed.

Eventually she let her mind relax a little, and she drifted off into an uneasy sleep which was always haunted by a pair of merciless blue eyes... She told herself she wasn't afraid.

Emma was never a great liar.

Several hours later Emma cracked an eyelid open. Her little boat was still covered, but light was shining through the thick oiled cloth.

Not good.

Her decision to take refugee in this exact place wasn't hanging too far from plain idiotic. So far all of her problems seemed to center around sailors. Perhaps she should have found a haystack and curled up there. At least it would have been softer place to relax. Obviously she hadn't been thinking straight.

She was literally jolted out of her thoughts when her tiny resting place was lurched off the ground.

The little boat was getting moved onto a bigger fishing boat, ready to set sail.

_Get out, get out, get out! _Her mind screamed.

Nothing happened. Maybe she went into shock, or more likely she was still half asleep. She clenched her fists, feeling her fingernails bite into her palms. While she was jostled about she couldn't help but catch snatches of a conversation.

"...heavier than the others?" A high pitched, slightly out of breath voice asked.

Another deeper voice grunted impatiently. "Don't complain, Trout. You want to go scrub the grime off the deck? Then be my guest... " There was a short pause while they dropped the boat down roughly. Emma's head banged the edge of the boat with a dull thud and a sharp rap of pain.

"...But if you want to cry about it like the girl we both know you are, then go to the Captain... You know how much he loves whimps like you."

There was a scuffling sound, and Emma assumed Trout was threatening to punch the other man.

"Hey! There's no need to get angry... It's only the plain truth, and you know it."

There was another pause, and then they tried the boat down quickly, both of them muttering under their breath. Emma didn't catch the rest of the argument, but she heard some very colourful swear words. She wanted to put them to use later, when she had the chance.

And then Trout spoke up again, this time with an edge to his voice. "You think I'm scared of him? I joined up to be rich, not scrape a living just like any honest sailor. I want to fight, to let my blade have the taste of blood. Thats what I came for. That's what I want."

Silence.

Emma knew right then that someone other than her had been listening to the conversation.

And then a deathly calm voice spoke, almost too quiet to hear. "You want the gold? Aye, I can understand that." The was a creak of floorboards. "You think you want to kill?" He didn't raise his voice, but all around Emma was silence. Everyone was listening... Afraid.

"...You think you would enjoy ending lives of men..."

Trout didn't speak, and perhaps that was a wise choice.

"...Woman..."

Emma bit her lip and held her breath.

"...and children? Any one of them could be your mother, father, brother or sister. Do you still want to feel their blood on your sword."

Eventually Trout stuttered out two words. "No...S-Sir."

"Wise answer, Trout. And remember, don't say things you don't mean. Especially not that." His voice sounded casual, businesslike. "Now back to work everybody! I want to have this cursed town out of sight before midday."

And then it was over.

Emma had recognized the voice as soon as he had spoken, and found that she had to struggle to keep hidden. She felt a sting and realized she had drawn blood while clenching her fists.

Now wasn't the time to reveal her hiding place. Later, when everything had died down, when the sun was setting again, preferably... Then, she would have her revenge.

If she wasn't slaughtered by the crew first. Or didn't starve. She was beginning to appreciate the feasts she used to have back home. It was torture to remember it, but she couldn't help to think of the roasted mutton, juicy and hot, with fat practicly dripping off the brown toasted meat.

No. She sighed, shifting her position as quietly as possible. Every inch of her body ached in response to the movement. She had to think of other things to pass the time. Like how she was going to beat Hook. Obviously he was a better fighter than her, hence their last incounter... But, she had the element of surprise.

And he had dozen or so men willing to fight for him.

She was probably the worst person for this. If she had Graham with her, Hook would be long dead, and she would already be back home gorging herself on hot buttery bread and meat...

Not again.

Ok, think of something else, something inedible.

And this was how Emma's entire day had passed. She didn't figure out how she was going to get to Hook, or how she was going to beat him... How she was going to bring herself to kill.

She didn't even manage to think of an escape plan for afterwards other than she would take the little boat and sail to land. If she figured out which direction to head for.

She had basically just dug her own grave, and was now waiting patiently for someone to come along and push her in. That was how much trouble she had brought on herself.

The thing that bothered her the most was that she never stopped to think before running away from home. Didn't even write a letter, didn't give her family any reason to think that she wasn't murdered by the same man who ended Philip.

Why didn't she just tell her parents where she suspected Hook fled to? He would be caught and brought as prisoner to the castle. She would watch his expression as the noose was tightened around his neck.

But that wouldn't be enough. It would never be enough. It was too impersonal. She wanted him to know what he had done, what he had taken from her. And what she was willing to do to avenge her betrothed.

She wasn't feeling so hungry anymore. Instead she resisted the urge to dry retch.

What had she become?

Graham cursed inwardly. He had never hated his job as much as he did now. The sky had opened up and it was pouring with rain, the amount of mud he had to trudge through to get from his tired horse to the inn door was overwhelming.

The air was thick and smoky inside, and the noise was incredible. It was crowded with both common drunks to wet travellers. The usual difference between them was not so apparent anymore. Everybody was having their fill of drink.

He scanned the room quickly, and it wasn't hard to find who he was looking for.

The captain of the Isabella stood out from the rest of the men. He was shouting something nonsensical that Graham didn't even bother to try and translate. It was no language known to man. He was drunk, and probably didn't even know himself the meaning of those garbled words.

In a moment Graham was across the room, none of the Captain's crew protested when he roughly grabbed the drunken man and pulled him to his feet.

"Sir!" Graham half shouted into the smiling man's face. "Are you the Captain of the Isabella?"

The Captain blinked slowly. "Who?" He swayed on his feet, looking slightly green.

Graham rolled his eyes, and then dragged the drunken man over to where the barmaid was serving drinks.

"Excuse me, miss... But do you have anywhere I can... Revive this poor man." He turned his face away in disgust. "Preferably a cold bath."

The barmaid blushed. "I'm sorry sir, but we don't at the moment... But if you waited-"

Graham was already out of earshot, and he found himself shoving roughly to get through the crowd. Anger was building up in him, and he kicked the door open. He wasn't going to waste any time being gentle.

His horse nickered loudly when Graham pushed the Captain outside. He landed with a splash in the puddle that had been filling up for the past few hours. It was still raining, but Graham didn't even bother to stand beneath the shelter the inn provided.

"Are you the Captain of the Isabella?" He repeated, stepping down into the mud with a splash, his leather boots were inches away from the man's muddy face. "Answer me!"

The drunken Captain swayed as he sat himself up, his eyes rolling in his head a little. "Aye, Thas' righ..." He hiccuped. "Who's lookin' for me?"

"I am," Graham knelt down, his eyes narrowed. "In this past week, did you have a young woman who goes by the name of Emma on your ship?"

The Captain squinted. "I don' remember names... I never have girls's on... On my ship anyway."

"You're sure?" He hesitated before continuing. "Very pretty, with pale gold hair and a... Ah, nice attitude." Anyone who had met Emma would know what he meant.

"Oh her!" The Captain laughed drunkenly, and began to climb out of his muddy puddle. "Don' know why you want to go finding her. Not a pleasant sort she was. Gave me the shivers..."

Graham growled and grabbed the man around the throat, his teeth bared. "WHAT did you do to her?"

"Nothing! We dropped her off where she wanted to go! That's all, I promise."

"Then why do you speak of the _princess_ as though she is no longer living? Was, instead of is?"

"Princess...?" His eyes widened in shock. "I... I'm sorry."

Emma ducked through the low door. She clutched a knife which she had stolen from one of the sailors as he slept, oblivious. It was easier than she thought. She had even managed to swallow down a few mouthfuls of bread when she found half a loaf lying next to a empty bottle of rum. He wasn't going to wake in a hurry. Emma wondered what Hook would think of that... Probably not much. If luck was on her side, he would be in the same condition.

A loose floorboard creaked under her weight, and she froze, swearing silently.

There was silence except for the creak of the ship, and the occasional splash of fish in the sea.

She walked on tiptoes past several plain wooden doors. None of those seemed likely.

Further along, up a short stairway, was a dark wooden door, it had a knocker. That was the main difference that she noticed, but it was enough to make her pause.

Was this it? She reached out and turned the handle. It was well oiled, and nothing made a sound when she pushed it open. That was stupid of him. One thing she knew about people with lots of enemies or money, was to never have a silent door. The more warning you have before someone enters your room the better.

She carefully stepped inside, her knife at the ready and her breathing shallow.

This was his room, or one of them. She knew it.

A single oil lamp was hanging from the roof, and it lit up every corner. It was simpler than she would have expected. A large table was bolted to the floor, and it was cluttered with maps and quills. There was a single painting on the wall, but Emma didn't bother to inspect it.

Moonlight flooded through the large window, making strange patterns the rugs.

Silhouetted against the clear sky, was a man with a long black coat, and a hook replacing his left hand.

Thankfully his back was turned. But her relief was short lived, because he spoke after a short moment.

"You really can't stay away from me can you," He turned turned, and flashed a smile at her. "Princess."

"No." Was all she could manage. She wished she could charge him right then, but he could see her coming. Just wait until he turned away.

"I'm flattered. But," His brows came together. "I told them to keep you from escaping, and to take back home to your mummy and daddy." A hint of humour touched his words, though he still looked serious. "How did you get away from them? And more importantly... Who did you kill on the way?"

"Nobody. They let me go."

She could have sworn a shadow crossed his face at that moment. "Of course. I should have known..." And then it was gone as quick as it came.

An impossible choice was playing in his head. What should he do? Nowhere was safe for her... But his ship was the closest thing. He watched her with a tinge of curiosity. She was waiting for him to turn his back, and then she would attack. He could see her clutching a knife, one he recognized as Trout's. She reminded him oddly of a wild animal, beautiful... But wild nonetheless.

Quickly and silently he made his choice.

He could tell her of his decision, he could tell her everything. But something stopped him. He wanted her to suffer a little first, after all... She was responsible for the wound in his leg.

"I want you to know, Emma..." He said quietly. "That I am so sorry for the loss of Prince... Philip. More than you know." It was the first time he let himself remember, and grieve. It hurt.

It hurt her too.

And made her angry.

But before she had time to leap forwards and attack him... Out of the shadow came two of his men. They got behind the enraged princess silently, and pulled her arms behind her back... Disarming her in the process.

"Take her to the cellars." He ordered them sharply. "And don't forget to feed her. She looks half starved." He turned his back on them. But not before he saw her flashing eyes and bared teeth.

_You will regret this._ She mouthed to him.

He could see the moon from where he was standing. It was almost full. For some odd reason that thought made him feel dread. Something was going to happen... Not very long from now.

And he knew who was doing it.


	8. Chapter 8: Voice of the Damned

Chapter 8: Voice of the Dammed

Something soft tickled Emma's cheek, it was insistent and distinctly not human. She moved her head with a soft groan, too asleep to check what it was, after a moment the thing touched her face again, this time it was cold and wet. She jumped awake, her heart was pounding and her back aching from the uncomfortable way she had slept, Hook's men had dumped her in the damp stinky cellar with nothing to sleep on except an empty grain sack.

The bastards.

She glanced around the dark room.

It was a skinny black cat that had been trying to get her attention, its thin tail was flicking back and forth as if it was waiting for something to happen. Flashing green eyes watched her carefully, in a way that looked almost human.

After a moment, the cat gave a soft meow.

What was the poor thing doing on the ship?

She scooped up the lanky excuse for a cat and placed it on her lap. It sat down and began to work on its wet paws.

Emma sighed, remembering her difficult situation.

"What am I going to do?" she muttered to the cat.

It continued its licking. She scratched behind its ear.

Life would be so much easier if you were a cat.

She had no idea how they would treat her on this ship, would they even let her live? What if the Princess Emma never returned from her ill fated quest for revenge? Her last trip at sea didn't end exactly how she desired. Who knew what this time would be like?

Maybe if she went back to sleep she wouldn't have to think about it anymore. Emma groaned and lay back down on the rough sack, she closed her eyes willing herself not to think about it. Somehow the groaning of the ship calmed her.

After a moment of lying with her eyes closed she noticed something, a sweet soft sound carrying through the creaking panels of the ship.

A woman was singing, it was beautiful and sad. A lovely sound as elegant as a bird.

Why did Emma immediately get the feeling that something was terribly wrong?

She pushed the cat off her lap, and stood up in the half light of the cellar.

And then out of the blue she had a sudden urge to find the source of the beautiful music.

It seemed to be so very important, she didn't stop to think why.

Surprisingly the door opened when she pushed.

Why wasn't it locked?

Outside, every corner of the deck was filled with curling icy fog. So much that she could hardly see in front of her. And it was so cold, it seemed to bite her. She shivered and hugged herself, her teeth chattering wildly.

Where were all the crew members?

She took a tentative step forwards into the clouds of fog.

The woman's lament continued.

Emma followed the singing up the ladder, the change in volume her only guide through the thick clouds of fog. Oddly, the ship was silent except for the strange music.

Suddenly she saw the woman, she was leaning gracefully on the edge of the ship. She had long straight silvery hair that hung over her shoulders in shimmering waves, her face was a perfact pale oval with bright blue eyes. Surrounding her was what looked like all the men on the ship including Hook. They stared in wonderment. Their eyes never leaving her pale form.

Emma got the strange feeling of watching a cat with its prey.

This was wrong.

The woman gestured to one of the men, he stepped forward clumsily, nearly tripping over his own feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her song took a new turn, it was no longer sweet but insistent and loud, the man was still for a moment, then he turned and dove into the waves.

Emma choked back the scream that threatened to escape her.

There was no doubt of his fate. No human could survive without air, even the best swimmer in the best swimmer in the world.

Dread jabbed her like shards of ice as the woman called another man. What was happening?

Whatever it was, it was killing all the crew, Emma would never have a slightest chance of survival if the murdering continued.

"Hey!" Emma shouted in a blind attempt to distract her.

It worked, the beautiful creatures eyes flicked away from her prey, the look on her She scowled curling her lip to reveal a row of pointed teeth, they looked like that of a dog or wolf.

Emma shuddered inwardly.

The 'woman' climbed off her perch strutted towards Emma.

"Brilliant." Emma muttered. "What am I going to do now?"

She wanted to run but her feet remained firmly planted on the ground.

The men the woman had entranced seemed to be coming around, they looked around blinking confused, Hook was staring at the woman, with an odd look on his face. Then he shouted. "Run, Emma!"

But it was too late, the woman was at her in a flash her pale hands wrapped around Emma's throat. Emma punched her in the gut with all the strength she could muster.

The woman was unaffected, she only grinned showing a sickening display of fangs.

Emma choked, clawing desperately at the woman's arm, black spots starting appearing in her vision, she kicked blindly trying to dislodge the woman's powerful grip, she only squeezed tighter.

The suddenly her grip slackened Emma dropped to the ground hand clutched to her throat.

The woman whirled round to face her assailant, it was Hook.

"Leave here demon." he spat the last word as if it was a curse.

"I bring a message." When the woman spoke it was high and eerie. "The woman aboard must die, if you don't get rid of her then I will."

"My ship, my rules." Hook answered aiming his pistol at her head. "Now leave my ship."

"Don't say, I didn't warn you." She hissed. Then with one final glare at Hook she ran and leapt off the ship into the crashing waves.

"That was stupid of you." Hook was addressing Emma.

"A thank you would suffice." She coughed. "Without me you would be dead."

Hook didn't answer. Then suddenly he frowned. "Are you alright Emma?" He was looking at her neck.

"Like you would care." She growled.

She did feel a little lightheaded, the world seemed to spin around her.

Then her vision began to darken, her throat was burning like she had swallowed liquid fire. She screamed, her voice cracked and then suddenly she couldn't draw breath.

Someone swore, then everything went black.


	9. Chapter 9: Red flag

Graham sighed, his breath making a cold cloud in the harsh night air. He had been riding for hours. Painful blisters lined his feet, with a grimace, he sat down on the damp grass.

Where are you Emma?

It seemed like she was always one step ahead of him, evading him at every turn. How could she have been so stupid! He silently cursed.

The horizon was darkening, the sun slowly sinking down and casting the world into darkness. Graham ran his fingers through his hair. He had the terrible feeling that time was running out, every moment Emma was away filled him with dread.

Something felt very wrong.

Graham made a quick decision. He was going to get help. And he knew who from.

He sat up sharply, and climbed onto his tired horse. To continue his search for a lost friend.

He prayed he would find her in time.

Emma had drifted in and out of consciousness for days, maybe weeks, she didn't know. It was all a hazy blur of screaming and pain. when she was awake she threw up until her throat was dry and raspy. Sometimes people tried to give her food or drink but she couldn't keep it down.

Her eyelids felt heavy and her head pounded with a sickening rhythm.

Emma squeezed her eyes open, to face the harsh sunlight.

It came in bright rays through the thin brown curtain of her cabin. She felt better than she had for a while, her head had stopped hurting and she felt hungry, her stomach was growling. Emma lifted her covers and slid of the edge of the bed. Her hair was a tangled greasy snarl, and her clothes were crumpled and dirty, they clung to her body like a second skin.

The door to the cabin creaked open. Emma sat back on the bed and quickly pulled her covers up.

"May I come in?" A hesitant boy stood just outside the door.

She guessed it was probably Trout, she had seen no other boys on the ship. "Of course."

He stepped in carrying a wooden tray with something steaming on it. "I heard movement in here so..." He trailed off awkwardly. Then placed the tray beside her bed.

"Thank you." She croaked, her voice coming out strange from lack of use.

He cleared his throat nervously.

"The cap'n wants to see you when you are well enough, he says to tell you that we are going ashore, and it's very important."

She scowled. What right did he have to order her around? But it was a good chance to get off the ship and leave it all behind. "Okay, I will see him soon." She gave her sweetest smile.

He nodded, closing the squeaky door as carefully as possible.

Hook deserved to die and he had just given her the perfect opportunity. She picked up her bowl of broth.

He would pay for his heinous crime.

She ate the broth in a flash, her stomach complaining for more.

Outside was windy and cold, Emma hugged herself, shivering. On deck men bustled about all with different tasks, some held coils of rope, others vigorously scrubbed the deck. Hook was in the middle of it all barking orders. He stopped when he saw Emma, then gestured for her to come closer.

She attempted to march over to him, scowling, but she found she was rather off balance, and the broth she had eaten moments ago seemed to want to come up again. "What do you want."

He grinned sardonically. "Oh I just wanted the pleasure of your company, of course."

"Shut up." She retorted.

"A ray of sunshine as always."

She turned to leave.

He grabbed her shoulder. "Wait."

She shoved his arm away. "Tell me what you want now or I'll go back to bed."

"We are going ashore to meet someone who can help me to locate Philip's killer, to do so I need your memories."

"Wha-" Emma spluttered, he was deluded. "You're not serious!"

"I'm afraid I am."

She was surprised, maybe he didn't kill him? But she had seen it with her own eyes.

He was just lying, trying to get her killed probably.

She decided to go along with it, this was her only chance to get rid of him and leave the ship.

"Okay, If you insist."

He gave her a suspicious look. "We will be there in about twenty minutes."

Hook hadn't told her that they were in Philip's country. Emma had been there once before when she was five years old. Her heart twisted, it was a terrible thing for a country to lose its prince. The sun shone on the docks, people bustled around with colourful clothes. Children laughed and played in the streets. They all seemed unaware of the imminent disaster.

"Hurry up Emma!" Hook hissed.

She pulled her hood down and followed after him. They were meeting a sorceress who lived on the edge of town, shunned by her freinds and family. She lived a secluded life, somehow she owed Hook a favour. The challenge would be to get through undetected.

Hook suddenly grabbed Emma's arm, sharply tugging her into an alleyway. She was about to make an angry retort then she noticed a group of three soldiers were walking by, engrossed in a loud discussion about a woman they liked.

Emma was about to continue on her way, but then she noticed something, a poster. Glued to the wall.

It showed both her face and Hook's.

She frowned, and stepped closer.

"What is it Emma-?"

Hook stopped abruptly, noticing the poster too.

It read:

"_This man: known as captain Hook, has commited high treason. He is a dangerous fugitive. His suspected accomplice Emma swan is wanted for questioning. If you see or hear either of these individuals please report to the nearest authorities."_

Hook swore. "That's gonna make things difficult."

"Difficult!" Emma spat. "They think I helped you kill him!"

"I told you... I didn't kill him." Hook sounded annoyed. "Leave that let's go."

Emma growled. "Fine, lets go then."

The guards were on the street corner, seemingly unaware of Hook and herself.

She wasn't going to let Hook mess with her memories. He was going to hang. But she couldn't make her identity known.

"Not much further." Hook murmured.

Emma was running out of time, she needed to think of something. Fast.

She slowed slightly so Hook was ahead of her, he continued without a glance.

Emma bolted into the inn they had just past, pulling her hood down as she ran.

"Emma!" She heard Hook shout,not very far behind her.

The inn was stuffy and smelt like tobacco. But it was virtually empty save for one barmaid busily cleaning and an old man with a drink clutched in his hands.

Emma clutched at her sides, coughing and gasping. Running wasn't a good idea in her current state.

"Are you alright miss?" The

barmaid looked worried.

"I'm fine." Emma breathed. "Do you think you could tell the guards that there is a fugitive in town." Emma consciously pulled her hood closer over her face.

"Why can't you do if yourself, miss?"

"I have some history with him he is looking for me right now." Emma tried to sound scared. "His name is Captain Hook, I'm guessing you know who he is?"

"Yes... I do miss." The girls voice shook. "I... will do as you ask."

"Thank you." Emma's voice cracked when she spoke. "Is there anywhere I could go so he won't find me?"

"Upstairs there's an empty room, you can go there for the time being." The girl flung her coat on as she spoke.

"Thank you." Emma said again.

"No worries." She disappeared out the door.

Emma shivered. Phillip would finally be avenged, but why didn't that make her feel any better?

She sighed.

"Would you like to share a drink with me?" It was the old man that spoke to her.

"No I really shouldn't." Emma smiled.

"Oh but I insist." He smiled in a sickly sort of way. She could see right through it.

"Please, I have other things to do at the moment, but thanks for asking." she was highly aware of how visible her face was under the hood.

"Like getting people killed." He sounded strange suddenly like his voice didn't fit his body.

"Sorry sir, I don't know what you're talking about and I really must go." She would take her chances elsewhere.

"I don't think so." His eyes flashed when he spoke, they were a strange blue-green like the sea. "You see, I can't let you kill that man."

Emma's heart pounded. Why did he look so familiar?

"I must go." She whispered dangerously.

He smiled at her.

She turned and ran for the door.

She didn't get there.

Emma screamed as someone grabbed her shoulder roughly.

It was Hook.

"Emma its okay, come with me." He smiled reassuringly.

"You aren't angry?"

"I've had much worse done to me, don't worry about it." He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Okay but where is...?" The old man was gone. How strange, he must have went upstairs.

"Can we leave here?" Emma muttered warily, brushing his hands off her shoulders.

His hands.

"You're not Hook!" Emma shoved him away.

"Of course I am." He smiled showing white teeth.

"Explain the extra hand then." Emma spat.

His eyes were a deep blue-green.

Dark hair hung in strips down his pale gaunt face. He wasn't Hook.

"Well you can't blame me for trying." The man laughed as if it was a marvelous joke. "You must admit, it was rather funny."

Emma's head pounded. "Who are you?"

"I'm the man who killed your darling prince."

"What?" Emma shouted.

"Well you've been chasing after the wrong man." He laughed colorfully. "Oh Emma you've made a fine mess."

"I don't care as long as I can kill you."

"I don't think so." He ran a long fingered hand through his hair. "Doesn't it bother you that you sentenced an innocent man to death?"

"Oh no." Emma whispered.

"Better run or his blood will be on your hands. You should be more careful" The man disappeared, he only left the smell of sea.

Emma hissed, the ran out the door. She was wrong and now an innocent would die.

She ran as fast as her legs would take her. Where would he be?

She coughed painfully, her breath rasping.

Emma ran the way Hook and her had been going through the damp twisting alleys and gutters.

They couldn't have gone far.

She stopped at the sound of voices. It was Hook quietly talking to someone.

She ran out of the alley. "Hook I'm sorr..."

He was kneeling beside someone. Trout, who had three arrows embedded in his back.

Emma gasped, covering her mouth.

Trout wasn't breathing.

Hook looked up at her, his face contorted with rage. "You!" He spat. "How could you do that?"

He was in front of her in a few short strides. "He's dead Emma, fifteen and dead."

"I'm so sorry." She cried, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't know."

He grabbed her around the throat. "Yes you did, you knew I didn't kill him and still you insisted on this petty revenge, well now that you have killed someone, does that make you feel better?"

Emma choked, crying and grabbing at his hand. "I'm sorry."

"Save it for someone who cares."

He released her.

Emma dropped to her knees coughing and crying. "I found the man who really killed Philip."

He bristled. "I don't care, if you come near me or any of my men again I'lll kill you myself." With that, he turned on his heel and marched into the alley, his coat clapping. He was limping, Emma knew exactly why, it only served to make her feel worse.

Emma cried, uncontrollable tears streaming down her face.

Coughing and hiccuping through a blind haze of tears.

What was she to do now?


	10. Chapter 10: Dark Harbour

_"Show me that you're human, you won't break_

_Like a thief in the light, you can't hide, you can't hide from your shadow_

_It's the only thing you own."_

Human nature is confusing, it hides dark secrets behind a mask of indifference and a temperament that appears so harmless, lying is such an easy trait, a simple untruth to save you from a sticky situation. Or something that develops into a web of trickery so large and complex, you can never escape it. Eventually your whole life is founded by lies.

It helps when you can see the lie, how their eyes never quite meet yours and their voice holds a prickle of unease, as if they're worried that somebody will see their ruse.

It makes them so much easier to manipulate.

A man stood in the darkness of the night, his thin pale face tilted to the sky, he laughed, all these people with their simple lives, filled with lies and misery, he never understood how they could live that way.

What was the point really? What was life with no excitement?

They all slept taking no notice of the strange man in the street. Not a single candle or lantern burned.

It was just perfect.

He strode through the dark alleys with such ease and confidence as if he had the world at his feet. Who knows, perhaps soon he would?

§

Emma's feet were numb, the sun had long gone and with the darkness came the biting cold, the flagstones leached any extra warmth out of her until she was so cold she couldn't feel, the alley was dark and smelt terrible she had sat there ever since Hook left, but now she was shaking and shivering violently. Still better off than Trout. The memory of his death played out repeatedly in her mind, the horror of what her actions had brought had left her empty she couldn't cry anymore she just sat hugging her knees in one cold dark corner of the world. The shadows gladly concealed her pain and suffering.

He was so young, only fifteen, at the beginning of his life and it was snuffed out as easy as a candle flame.

Her fault. All her fault.

It seemed so unreal, how did she get here?

Graham would be so angry, probably worried too, all her family would. They would likely think the worst. It only served to make her feel more terrible.

Maybe she should go home?

Nobody would look at her in the same way again, she would be the scandal her family needed to brush under the carpet.

But maybe it would be different if she returned with something to show,for her endeavours? Like Philip's killer avenged and the kingdoms stopped from war.

Maybe she could feel better if she did something right for a change.

Hook was looking for the killer too, she had to find him and somehow convince him without getting herself killed.

Wouldn't her family see her in a different light if she saved the kingdoms from war?

Even if they didn't it wouldn't matter, she was still going to do it.

The hard part would be getting Hook to help her. Emma slowly stood up, trying to prevent the wave of dizziness, it still came, she leaned against the wall to steady herself. She was hoping that Hook's ship was still in the docks, without it she didn't know what she would do.

§

Emma's heart leapt at the sight of his ship still docked. But now that she was here she had no idea how she would get on it.

She could plead that she was harmless and shamelessly beg for mercy, they wouldn't harm her would they? Who was she kidding of course they would. She had got one of their mates killed.

She groaned, Hook would never allow her on his ship was the middle of the night she could sneak on unnoticed, but still nothing would stop them from killing her.

"Emma?" A hand touched her shoulder.

She leapt in fright, a dark figure stood in front of her silhouetted against the light of the moon. It was Hook she could just make out his face in the dim light. She brushed his hand off her shoulder, and took three steps back, her heart pounding.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed.

"I need your help." She tried to disguise the quiver in her voice.

"My help?" He sounded incredulous. "Have you lost all common sense? Why would I help you?"

"I thought we shared a common interest in seeing Philip avenged." She was still trying not to think of the killer as Hook.

"You think killing another person will make you feel better about the first?" He raised an eyebrow. "How very naive of you."

She pursed her lips. "So you would see the killer run free, no punishment for his actions, you would see the kingdoms fall into ruin and war?"

"You are indeed silly." He whispered icily. "To think you could stop a war so easily."

"So you think it's better to do nothing, so everyone can be a coward like you." She spat.

"Coward?" He growled. "Oh it's cowardly to not take a life?"

"He deserves to die." Emma murmured stupidly.

"Why does he deserve to die anymore than you do?" He clenched his fists. "You're just a stupid spoilt princess, with your first taste of what the real world is like."

In a split second her fist connected with his face, a sickening crunch then his groan of pain.

"I see now." Emma's voice was filled ice. "I was wrong to ask for your help, I will find him myself."

"Good luck with that." He murmured sarcastically, rubbing his jaw.

Emma didn't answer in reality she had no idea where to look for the killer. "Goodbye Hook." She said nonchalantly.

Then she turned on her heel and walked away. He didn't try to stop her.

"Bravo." A soft voice whispered in her ear.

Emma growled and tried to push the person away from her, it didn't work he held tightly to her shoulders.

"Let her go." Hook growled dangerously. "It's nothing to do with her."

"Then why do you care?" The man's voice was soft and calm, Emma couldn't see his face but she knew exactly who he was. She lashed out, clawing at his arm and punching him.

He adjusted his arm and so it was around her throat. "I see you and my son are getting along well."

Emma froze. His son. She looked at Hook, he looked away from her gaze. It suddenly made sense to her, the two men that looked so alike.

Hook didn't want to find him because he didn't want to kill his father.

"Oh I see." The man smiled. "She didn't know, well that just makes everything more interesting, let's go Emma dear."

She struggled frantically as the world dissapeared before her eyes, leaving only darkness.

§

The young princess sighed. Her head ached with worry. Graham had sent no news, he had been gone for weeks. Her mother cried, and her father seemed to always be angry he believed that Emma had run away with Hook. The whole castle asked the question, will she ever return?

Belle was beside herself, the midwives worried about the baby.

How could she do this?

"Where are you dearest Emma." She whispered gently into the darkness.

The branches of the trees whispered, brushing together, murmurs and secrets.

_She's in the hands of the devil._


	11. Chapter 11: Pray for our sins

**Pleaase give me some inclination you have read it! it makes me feel like I have got somewhere, it takes me hours to make these chapters only a few seconds for you to follow fave or review..Pwetty pleaaasse. 3**

Hook felt lost, sitting on the edge of the docks. So many questions without real answers, he seemed to be stuck in the same circle of thought. Wondering how to get Emma back, why had his father took her? she was just a silly girl.

A silly girl that had got his friend killed. He groaned and clenched his teeth.

_Why must she be so reckless?_

The water was dark and calm, quietly splashing against the mossy wood. What really confused him was Emma coming back, asking for his help.

Had she lost her mind?

He sighed his breath making a cold cloud in the night air, no matter what she was trying to do, he still had to get her back...For everyone's sake. It filled him with dread that she had been gone for two whole days, with an attitude like hers anything could happen. Did she not think of her family when she ran away, how it would hurt them.

In that moment he wished he had someone, who cared when he disappeared. Emma didn't know how lucky she was, he would give anything just to have a home.

She was young, eventually she would appreciate what she had. He smiled remembering when he first met her. She was so... proud and beautiful, almost like a lioness, it saddened him to see her so broken and alone.

Partly his doing, he swallowed remembering almost strangling her. He was angry but that didn't change the fact that she was a young lady and so scared of him, his stomach flipped in guilt.

He could no longer trust himself.

He stood up, his leather coat creaking quietly in the silence of the night, he would do whatever it took to get the princess home, he just hoped to god she was still alive. But before he could take another step a soft voice whispered behind him.

"Hook."

Every muscle in his body froze.

"Emma?" He turned staring blindly into the darkness, then slowly she came into view, eerie in the light of the moon, her blonde hair falling over her shoulder in soft waves.

He reached out his hand to her... "Emma... how?" The she faded to nothing.

He dropped his hand, a familiar feeling filled him. Dread.

"I can't believe you fell for that" A mocking voice came from the shadows.

Hook hissed in anger. "What do you want?"

The familiar figure of his father, Charon stepped out of the darkness his face breaking into a wide curvaceous grin as he held his arms out for a hug. "Hello son."

Hook clenched his fists. He wasn't playing Charon's game. "Where is Emma?"

"Straight to the point, that's my son." He grinned, then gazed at the sky with a face full of wonderment. "Why do you want to know? I wont be trying to strangle her, I know how to treat a lady, unlike some _people_ we won't name."

Hook growled. "Oh like mother, was she not a lady?"

Charon sighed as if Hook was a petulant child. "She wanted to leave, I only helped her on the way."

"I don't care what you call it, where is Emma? she needs to return home before a war breaks out."

Charon only grinned.

Hook was filled with dread. "That's what you want isn't it? You're trying to start a war?"

He laughed and pointed at Hook. "You said it not me... though its an interesting idea..." he rubbed his chin in thought.

"Why are you doing this?" Hook stared into his father's eyes, they were cold and grey like a storm.

"Because its fun." He laughed. "Fine I will be nice to you, Emma has been captured by bounty hunters looking for you... they are west of here not very far from here."

"Why did you let her go?"

"Oh its funny to watch you run around and find her. She might not be in one piece, but she is alive currently so better hurry lover boy." He grinned then disappeared.

Hook frowned a little at why his father made it so easy. But he knew one thing for sure Charon didn't lie.

So he hurried off in a westward direction. As his father watched and laughed.

Graham had watched the two men talking in the moonlight, Hook and his father he couldn't hear what they were saying but he heard Emma mentioned. Their conversation didn't last long after the father disappeared. Graham began to follow Hook through the dark twisting streets. Hook knew something about Emma. He had too.

Graham was quiet, carefully mulling his footsteps and slipping through the shadows. But somehow Hook noticed him. Graham suddenly saw him tense and slowly turn his head.

Graham carefully slipped his dagger out.

"Come out, coward and face me."

Graham stepped into view, he would kill him if he had too.

"I am looking for Emma." Graham hissed.

"I recognize you, you were at the ball right?" The ball, it seemed like a lifetime ago.

"What's that got to do with it? I don't think you killed Philip." Graham rubbed his temples. "Don't ask me why I think that. Just trust that we need to find Emma as soon as possible."

Hook sighed tiredly. "Then we share a common goal mate, I am on my way to find her."

"You know where she is? I am surprised she is not chasing after you."

"She figured out that I didn't kill him."

"What? How?"

"She met the man who did. But we will get to that later, we need to find her now." Hook didn't know what it was but something about Graham just seemed trustworthy.

"Which way?"

Emma screamed pain ripping through her body, but without a single injury. It was terrifying and unreal.

After Hook's father had let her go she had fallen into the hands of three men. Bounty hunters looking for hook and herself they worked for king Philip or at least that's what they said.

They had questioned her about Hook's whereabouts asking her sweetly and kindly giving her a blanket she blankly insisted she had no idea. Two of the men half accepted, they weren't the brightest one of them had a puckered scar where his eyes used to be and he was tall and meaty hardly saying a word. The other one had a hammer with him all the time and he gave her wide toothy grins every so often.

But the man that really scared her was the one they called Ralf, he watched her all the time from under his dark hood. He was a magician, she noticed it when the other two me were attempting to light a fire on wet ground, after watching them for about ten minutes he hissed in anger and flung flames at the wood it burst into an inferno and didn't stop for the rest of the night. He had a long face with one sickly yellow eye.

But on her second day with them riding through the rainy forest, Ralf suddenly had enough of playing nice with her, he growled and roughly pulled her off the horse.

"You think you're tough little lady?" He rolled up his sleeves. "I have to find your partner or I lose my job, I will give you one last chance to tell me where he is."

Emma pursed her lips, she had hurt Hook enough, he deserved to live. The other men busied themselves, awkwardly pretending not to notice what was about to play out. Emma shivered. "I don't know where he is."

Ralf laughed and his face broke into a smile.

A cold stone dropped in Emma's heart.

"Then you asked for this."

He waved two fingers and Emma collapsed to the ground screaming, every nerve in her body screamed, it felt like she was being burned alive. All that she could think of was the pain. It consumed her. Tears streamed down her face.

Abruptly it stopped.

"If you tell me where he is then the pain will stop."

Emma just kept crying.

He sighed dramatically. "Your choice." Then she felt cords tighten around her neck, she panicked screaming blindly, the cords were snakes, hissing and slowly crushing her to death. She couldn't see or hear anything except Ralf's cold laughter, she knew he was enjoying it. The snakes uncoiled and disappeared.

Then Emma heard screaming, she looked up from the ground, it was Belle cradling a bundle to her chest as two men held swords behind her back.

"Belle!" Emma screamed, then she stopped a calm settled over her. These weren't real.

Ralf growled in anger, and a blinding pain ripped through her body all she could hear was her own screaming. Then everything turned to darkness.

Emma's body was shaking gently a calm rhythm, she was warm and alive. Her heart filled with joy and she hugged the warm body...Emma took a second to click, she strained an eyelid open she was on a horse. Her heart filled with fear. With who?

She let out a little whimper and craned her neck to see.

"Its alright love, you're safe now." Warm arms tightened around her.

It was Hook.

She tensed and sat up straighter. What did he want with her?

Hook grimaced as Emma tensed and closed her eyes, she didn't deserve this.

"Do you think she will be alright?" Graham had quickly grown on him in the short time they had been together. "I think so, she woke a second ago."

"Can't think what they did to her."

Hook didn't answer, both men had heard Emma's blood curdling screams.

They rode on neither talking about the terrible sacrifice that had to be made. They rode in silence.

But Hook couldn't escape the feeling that this was exactly what his father wanted.

**You likey? Review? fave? follow? It will make oh so very happy..:D**


	12. Chapter 12: Don't Look Back

**Reviews are always welcome!**

Hook carried Emma to her cabin, she was completely unconscious and her pale face was tear streaked and gaunt, her cheekbones jutted out sharply and her eyes were lined with dark purple smudges. He almost felt sorry for her. He sighed as gently placed her on the small tidy bed.

"She looks terrible." Graham had followed them in silence, Hook noticed that he had the same look as Emma, that bone deep weariness that etched into every line and crease on his face making him look years older.

"She's been through hell." Hook murmured, carefully covering her with a threadbare blanket.

Graham nodded and crossed his arms staring out at the moon. " Are you going to explain the situation?"

Hook had noticed that Graham trusted him and acted like he already knew him well when they had only known each other for a day it was confusing. "My father.." He swallowed thickly. "My father is a powerful magician, he turned into me, then killed Phillip."

Graham faltered a second. "...Wait, are you serious?"

"I'm afraid so."

Graham nodded. "Any idea why he would do such a thing?"

Hook ran a hand through his hair. "I have some ideas, but I don't know exactly."

Graham waited in silence.

"I know one thing for sure he is trying to start a war, I think purely for the fun of it." Hook grimaced. "Did I forget to mention he's insane?"

Graham groaned. "How can we fix this?"

"We need to stop him in any way possible."

Graham nodded in approval.

"Graham?" The voice was soft and timid like a breath of air. Emma was awake. She let out a small child like screech of delight and leaped out of bed only to look sick and nearly fall over.

Graham stepped forward and put his arms around her. "I missed you little one."

Emma murmured something quietly, he couldn't catch what it was.

Hook suddenly felt like an intruder and awkwardly tried to step out without them noticing. They immediately broke apart."Thank you for finding me." Emma was looking at Hook, he couldn't meet her eye.

"That's alright love, I was just glad to help."

Graham are you here to take me home?" The question was flat and emotionless, she let nothing away.

"Yes."

"Is that all you're going to say?" Emma said nonchalantly. "What about Philip's killer?"

"We will take you home first." Graham frowned. "I think Hook might know how to find him."

Hook nodded.

"I have to come with you."

Graham groaned. "No you don't, you need to go home to your family. They need you, your mother is worrying herself sick."

"I need to see him die."

Graham grabbed her shoulders. "Emma as much pain as you feel now I can promise you it will only get worse if you kill him."

"I don't think this pain can get worse." Emma murmured.

"Well I don't care if you disagree you are going home."

"Fine!" Emma snapped and marched out the door. She was going to kill that man, even if she had to betray Graham. She smiled evilly. Before Hook's father let her go he told her how to find him, if she ever 'needed' him. He was either stupid or knew what was coming. Emma didn't care he was going to die.

She had sat out on the edge of the ship for what seemed like hours, alone with her dark thoughts and the chilly wind. Neither Hook or Graham had tried to find her, they were probably discussing the best way to get her home. She seethed, they had no right to treat that way.

She shivered and stood up, she craved to be higher up and away from the ground she could be like the seagulls, floating with the wind no worries or pain.

She looked down, suddenly she couldn't control the urge to... let go and jump into the dark water, mysterious and quiet. All her pain would just disappear she would be free. She took a step forwards, her heart in her throat. Images flashed through her mind, Philip falling crumpled to the ground, Trout dead. She leaped and felt her feet leave the ground, air rushed in her ears the world disappearing there was only the dark sea./

Abruptly she was pulled back.

"Emma, please don't." Hook's voice was right in her ear. He lifted her up and put her back on deck.

Solid wood. Emma couldn't explain her gratitude, that he stopped her from jumping, she could still feel the cold air and the wood beneath her feet.

"Tha-Thank you." She choked and hot tears formed in her eyes, she couldn't hold them back.

She turned away from Hook, tears streaming down her face. She hiccuped and ran past him.

He grabbed her shoulder a little roughly. "Emma, its going to be fine."

Tears were streaming down her face she couldn't come up with words. "...But."

Hook still was holding onto her she tried to twist out of his grasp. "Emma please I don't want you doing anything stupid."

"Just let me go..." She pulled at his hand pathetically, he just gripped her arm without saying a word, she choked and pulled at his fingers, wrapped around her arm. She suddenly thought of the snakes around her neck, shuddering unconsciously.

Hook dropped her arm abruptly "I'm sorry." He looked at the ground.

She choked tears still rolling down her face. She almost laughed. "No that wasn't for you, I was thinking of the bounty hunters that..."

He grimaced. "Oh."

Her tears were stopping now she wiped her eyes, shaking slightly.

"What did they do to you?" Hook looked slightly angry.

"They were nice at first, but one of the men wouldn't accept that I didn't know where you were." Emma cleared her throat. "So he tried to torture it out of me, with magic."

Hook looked confused. "Wait... He was looking for me?"

Emma nodded.

"You didn't tell them?" He sounded shocked.

She shook her head, not meeting his eye.

"Why didn't you?"

Emma didn't answer at first. "I didn't want to hurt you anymore I guess."

Silence filled the air, filled with unspoken words.

"I am grateful." He sounded tired.

Emma was shaking now. "Did Trout have a burial?"

Hook nodded. "It was a small thing, he had few friends and no family, an orphan."

Emma's heart flipped in guilt, she felt the tears forming in her eyes again. She shivered and a few hot tears spilled down her face.

"I forgive you."

Emma nodded, relief filling her, but somehow it only served to make her feel more guilty.

"I..I can't apologize enough." She stuttered.

"Emma you already have." He had his back to her now staring out to the sea.

Emma was silent, she knew he wasn't only talking about her apology. She was leaving him tonight to find his father, a part of her hoped he wouldn't hold it against her. But the sensible part said he would do just that.

"I don't understand why didn't tell them." Hook paused. "I did nothing to deserve that."

"I felt I should do something right for a change." Emma hugged her herself, shivering.

He didn't say anything for a moment. "Graham is sleeping in the ship tonight then he is taking you home tomorrow."

She grunted in acknowledgement.

"It's the best way."

Emma nodded, she was shivering uncontrollably.

"You need to get warm." Hook looked her up and down.

She nodded shakily, remembering, Phillip saying the same thing when they were younger he gave her his coat when they were playing out in the rain, only to get sick afterwards. She smiled sadly as tears pooled in her eyes.

"What's wrong Emma?"

"Phillip.."

He nodded sadly, then after a moment of thought he stepped forwards and hugged her tightly. Warmth spread through her body instantly and she wrapped her arms around him tightly, neither of them saying a word. Emma cried silently, hugging him tighter. They stayed like that for a few moments, as warmth spread through Emma and she breathed the smell of leather and sea.

Hook let go of her. "Please get some sleep Emma, you really need it."

"I will." She lied, tonight she was leaving.

He nodded satisfied.

Emma walked away to her cabin.

_Don't look back _she told herself.

**I have like no reviews.:( **


	13. Chapter 13: The hand of Death

Staring out at the sea, Emma stiffened as she tried to hold back a sob. This was what her life had become. A month ago she would never try and kill somebody, now she was betraying her only friends, to kill Charon. A shiver ran down her spine, she didn't know whether it was from the cold sea air or the thought of killing a man.

Oh gods, she couldn't think about it. She sighed as she watched the moon dappled in silver on the dark sea. All she needed to do was think of Charon then jump off the boat and into the sea. Simple. But why couldn't she seem to do it? She just couldn't get the picture of Graham's face out of her mind if she did betray them. He trusted her. She didn't think he would ever forgive her after this. Her heart twisted.

No, she wouldn't let herself think like that, she had to rid the world of this evil.

She climbed onto the edge of the ship, it swayed, making it hard for her to keep balanced. Little did she know, her every move was being watched, but Emma could not see the sly smile of Charon and she could not know what he was thinking.

What if he had tricked her into drowning herself? Emma quailed at the thought. It seemed like days ago when Hook had tried to stop her from jumping off. That was different, she was actually trying to drown herself then. She didn't know what she was thinking now, how could she die with still such evil in the world?

She squared her shoulders. This was it. She tried to conjure up an image of could never forget that curved smile, filled with venom.

"Emma?" She knew that voice, it was Hook.

Her stomach twisted, he would try and stop her.

"What are you doing love?" There was panic in his voice but he hid it well, he was trying not to startle her.

"Hook I have to kill him, this is the only way." Her eyes blurred with tears as she jumped off, the image of Charon kept turning into someone else.

"Emma!" Maybe if she waited a second more she would have seen the look on his face, but it was better that didn't.

* * *

She hit the ground with a thump, her painfully smashing against something hard. Her mind seemed like it was still at the ship, it had all changed so quickly. She didn't move for a second, then she reached out her hand, and grabbed a handful of grass. Grass? she sat up sharply, it had worked.

Her shoulder had hit a rock of some sort, she rubbed it as she took in her surroundings. She was in a clearing, with a massive tree at the center of it, it was filled with loud birdsong. The sun shone. Everything seemed normal. But there seemed to be no path out of the clearing. She groaned, how would she find him from here?

She picked up her knife, that had somehow fallen out on her arrival.

"Well, I didn't expect you so soon." The voice was cold and inhuman.

Charon was standing a few paces away, with a sneer on his face.

"Well don't underestimate me."

"No, I think it would be more like overestimating." He scratched his chin in thought. "Well, how rude of me. I must show you my home." He extended an arm for her, like a gentleman would. She smiled and linked arms with him, knowing full well that he could see right through her mask. But he smiled back. This was a dangerous game.

His home as he called it was like something from the old tales. A castle was what it first looked like, but she looked again, it was almost as if it was made of water or glass. This was not her world, as they came out of the forest she noticed the sky was different, it seemed to shimmer and ripple. Something cold dropped in her heart, what if this was like the stories that her and her sisters had been told. When someone went to another land and could never return? They would be trapped.

"I know what you are here for." He didn't look at her when he spoke.

She didn't answer. Inside the strange castle was even more spectacular. The room she was in had a huge dome of a roof, covered with the most intricate paintings, there were tiny vines that curved between the fingers of beautiful ladies with roses in there hair. There were lush carpets and each wall had huge red drapes with gold fringing. Her home was a cottage in comparison.

"Would you like to know what I think of that?"

She laughed. "No I do no wish to hear your opinion unless you have something positive to say."

He didn't say anything but she could see the slight curve of his mouth.

"My son will be here soon enough, well if I let him. I could always just kill him."

Emma's heart dropped. She turned to him.

Charon looked at her for a second then burst into laughter. "Oh don't look so scared of course I am not going to kill him, he's useful."

She gave him a distrustful look.

But he wasn't looking at her, he had his eyes glued to the doors. "Here he comes." Charon chimed.

Emma spun round, Hook marched through the doors, a dangerous scowl on his face.

"Lovely to see you again."

Hook ignored his father.

He grabbed Emma by her shoulders, "You can't beat him like this." He murmured.

Emma looked at Charon, he was acting like he couldn't hear them, even though they both knew he was listening to every word.

"You can't, he can kill you in a second." Hook grabbed her hand. "Emma please."

"Oh how sweet." Charon had decided to join the conversation. "Lovers reunited."

She laughed. "I am afraid you're wrong there."

"Am I?" He raised an eyebrow. "But do you really know what you are getting yourself into?"

"What do you mean?"

"He knew that I was going to get rid of your little friend, what was his name? oh yes it was Phillip." He paused thinking. "He actually knew a lot more than he let on."

Emma hissed in anger. How dare he speak of Phillip that way?

"Emma, he's trying to make you angry, just don't listen to him."

"He isn't an honest man, have you noticed what he does for a living?"

Emma looked at him blankly.

Charon clicked his tongue. "He is a pirate. I may have killed your friend, but he has also killed many innocent people."

Emma frowned. "Is this true Hook?"

He didn't answer.

"Is it true?"

"Yes, it is." He looked away from her.

She should of known. And if he knew Phillip was going to die, why didn't he try a bit harder to stop it? She would have done anything to stop him from dying.

"But Emma, you need listen to me, we have to leave here _now_."

She growled. "No, I do not _need_ to listen to you."

Charon laughed gleefully."Lovers tiff?"

"No, we are not lovers. Nor anything close. I could never love him."

Hook didn't say a word.

Charon walked closer to the two of them. "That's interesting."

This could be her chance, all she needed to do was grab her knife and stab him in the chest.

"Do you miss him?" Charon's tone was patronizing.

She growled and pulled out her knife.

"Emma no!" Shouted Hook.

She plunged it into his chest.

There was a moment of dead silence. Emma was shaking. Hook was gaping at his father.

Charon was looking at the knife handle sticking out of his of his chest. He pulled it out with ease. "Silly girl, you didn't actually believe I would die as easily as you?"

Emma shuddered. "How?"

He was angry. She could tell. "Oh I don't think you could quite comprehend it dear."

Then he whispered something else.

Hook yelled something and then he was gone.

Emma screamed. "Where is he?"

"Why should I answer you? you did just try and kill me."

She groaned, head in hands.

"Anyway, it doesn't really matter now. Its too late to stop it."

"Stop what?" Hissed Emma.

"Well I am afraid that Phillip's family didn't take it well when you and Hook killed their only son. They want blood."

"Scum this is what you wanted all along. And why? because you enjoy it?"

"Well it is very funny to watch. I do get rather bored here. All by myself." He scratched his head. "Well not quite alone but the dead are not very talkative."


	14. Chapter 14: Come Home

_"Come home_  
_Come home_  
_Cause I've been waiting for you_  
_For so long_  
_For so long_  
_Right now there's a war between the vanities_  
_But all I see is you and me_  
_The fight for you is all I've ever known_  
_Ever known_  
_So come home_  
_Oh"_

You never know the pain of truly missing someone until they are gone. You can never know how painful it is to wake up and realize every time they are gone. Sometimes forever. It can tear you apart.

Snow remembered trees with fragrant blossoms and birds that flew and sung in their branches. So alive and thrumming with an almost musical energy. It made her want to sing and dance forgetting all her troubles. The palace garden was Emma and her special place.

This was the only place where they could find clarity. Here they had realized their similarities, it had brought them together. Making an unbreakable bond. But now she felt as if she had taken all their time together for granted, unaware that it was limited, the ground had been pulled from under her feet and she wasn't ready for the fall. _Oh Emma, please come home._

It had always been free and alive. Innocent and untouched by the world. But somehow the innocent never lasted. It made her want to cry and scream, but instead she stood quietly, watching how dark her world had become. The branches of the trees hung low and wilted like the shoulders of a grieving widow. The cold air had a harshness to it that stung her face, she pulled her cloak tighter. It didn't make a difference.

She couldn't imagine it the same now. How could a place be so happy and alive when her life was so painful and dark? Their flowers were stripped, crushed underfoot, blown to the winds. No birds sang, no bees hummed. It was silent. Save for the wind. Ice clung to the carpet of their leaves was sparkling with the same silvery frost. The whole place seemed to be without colour, just a mass of grey crawling into the white sky.

That was what her life had become, a colorless blur. Without meaning. She had nothing to hold onto. She was starting to forget what Emma looked like. Her face seemed to blur as she struggled to remember. It brought tears to Snow's eyes. Would she ever see her again?

Snow walked slowly through the cold gardens, her cloak hugged tightly around her. Belle had went home and Regina was staying with her aunt. She missed them all so much, but none so much as Emma. She tried not to think of what might have become of her. David hardly spoke, he was so busy trying to prevent a war. But she knew he was hurting. They all were.

Snow smiled slightly as she noticed a small pink and white bud clinging to a branch. Its delicate petals were unfurling to brave the world ahead. A pale leaf curled protectively around the bud, holding it safe. She brushed her finger gently over the top of the flower, it reached out its petals and seemed to take a breath of the cold air. It was like a newborn child unaware of the pain and suffering of the world. The first blossom in a long and cruel winter. She smiled, maybe Emma would come home? Maybe their was hope. If this little blossom could bloom in this icy dark world. Then the least she could do was believe in Emma. She deserved that much.

"Snow, we have found him."

She smiled. David was leaning against the wooden archway. "The man who killed Phillip?"

"Yes, he ran straight into some of my men." David smiled grimly. "They are on their way as we speak."

"Was Emma with him?" She dreaded the answer.

"No."

Snow didn't know whether to be relieved or scared. If she had been with him, that would put her on trial and she could be hung. But if she wasn't with him who knows what had become of her? "Well at least we got him." That monster, Snow couldn't understand how he could pretend to be Phillip's friend and then just kill him without a second thought. It was inhumane. He deserved what was coming.

"I hope this is enough to say we weren't involved in the killing." David looked so tired, he seemed to have aged years. "But we will never be on good terms with them again, they will hate us for letting him die on our land." David sounded angry now.

"David, would you not react in a similar way if one of our daughters had died on their land?"

He smiled at her. "I would, I am sorry Snow. I cannot think too long about these matters or they become me. I am very fortunate to have you."

"I miss her so much." Snow's voice quivered. "Do you think we will ever see her again?"

David just stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms. That was enough of an answer. He didn't think they ever would. Their daughter was gone forever. What made it so much worse was that they had no idea why she was gone.

* * *

"Don't try anything." One of the guards spat. They had his hand tied with a gag in his mouth. They were leading him behind their horse. "Evil bastard." The man gave the rope a sharp tug, it tightened on his painful raw skin.

After his father had sent him away, he had landed on his ship with Graham. They had spoke and realized that it was extremely unlikely that Charon would ever let Emma go. And Hook knew what Charon really wanted. He wanted his heir, a successor. But that wasn't a life. The power would overtake him. He would rather die than kill and ruin peoples lives without a single hint of mercy.

He would gladly sacrifice his life to save the kingdoms from war. Did Charon not see this? Charon was smart. Inexplicably smart. But he never understood the human mind. He never understood the raw painful emotions. The willingness to make sacrifices to save the one you love. Hook pitied him in a way.

Graham had understood why Hook wanted this. He had helped the guards find and capture him. Hook hadn't fought them, he didn't care anymore. Everything he cared about was gone. Emma, his mother and Phillip. What was the point without them? He would always hate himself for not being there a second earlier to stop Emma from condemning herself to a life in the underworld.

He could never admit to himself how much he cared about her. He was a coward.

_"I have nothing but respect for you Hook."_

Graham and him could not be described as friends, but Hook liked him. Graham had went to the castle ahead of the men who had Hook. He would deliver the news to the king and queen. Hook believed that this would be enough to stop the war. Phillip's kingdom would take his death and accept that Emma had not killed Phillip. Well he prayed that would happen. Graham had promised that he would do everything in his power to make them believe he had committed the crime. It should be enough.

He wished he could of said goodbye to Emma. He had never truly understood her. But that's what amazed him. She was a mystery.

_"I could never love him." _

Her words had hurt him, but he could not understand why. He already knew she would never share his feelings. She had loved Phillip. And even though she knew Hook had not killed him, she would always associate him with his death.

The ropes were slowly tearing at his skin, his feet hurt and the sun painfully burnt his skin. The walk to his death seemed to take forever.

He realized that after all his attempts to be brave and make this sacrifice.

He was afraid. He afraid of what was to come.

He didn't want to die.

* * *

Emma had hated Charon for so long.

Every day in this place with only him as company, it was living hell. But as the weeks slowly turned into months. She began to talk to him. He gave her charcoals and thin pencils after five months. And everyday after that she drew, she drew her mother. She drew Belle and Graham. She drew what her child might look like, she drew Phillip and she drew Hook. Because she was so afraid that her memories would fade. Then she would truly lose them.

She found herself drawing a lot of pictures of Hook. Because she was around Charon so much it made it easy. But she still remembered the little differences. Hook's eyes sparkled with the brightest blue. While Charon's were always a cold steely grey.

Emma didn't know Hook's real name. She didn't even know that. It was a small thing and she had never found the time to learn it. She wished that she had the chance to say goodbye. He had probably moved on by now, everyone wold have accepted that she was gone. Three years was a long time, they would remember her. But they would move on. Today was her twenty second birthday. It felt so strange because the last three years were a blur, all her days were the same so they all seemed to merge into nothing.

Charon often invited her to dine with him. Surprisingly enough he actually made very interesting conversation. He reminded her of Hook so much. She liked that, it was all she could hold onto. So she found herself looking forward to his company. Emma still missed everybody at home. But after three years in this place. She had accepted that Charon would never let her leave. She had to think of this place as her new home. It was the only thing she could do.

Charon had told her that this was the underworld. The place where souls passed to the next life. He was the keeper of this world. There was a balance that had to be maintained. He was that balance. He had also explained to her that all his games had just been him trying to get his son to come home. Emma did not understand what he really meant. But she didn't really care.

She picked up the small mirror that had always sat by her bed. It was murky and had pearls encrusted on the edges. Emma turned it slightly, so she could see her face. The Emma that looked back at her was not the same girl she had once known. Three years had changed her. The face that looked back was not that of a youthful girl. It was that of a woman. She thought back to before she came here it seemed like a lifetime ago. She was a lot calmer now. All her emotions seemed to be dulled.

Emma screamed suddenly, the reflection changed. A familiar face. Oh gods, it was Phillip.

"Emma, don't be scared." He sounded the same as she remembered. "Don't drop the mirror, your mind is the only thing holding me here. You need to listen to me." His face looked so youthful. It seemed to be erased of all its weariness or pain. "Its time to leave this place, you have spent long enough here."

"What do you mean? What would be the point in going home? Everyone would have moved on by now."

He smiled in the mirror. "No Emma, this place is not the same world you know. In your world it has only been about half a day."

Her heart leaped. She was filled with hope. "What? Why should I believe you?"

"We are in the underworld Emma, I am just a soul. I am here only to help you."

Tears stung her eyes. "I love you."

"I know Emma. But that's exactly what you have to let go of. Its time to say goodbye to me. Save the man that is about to die for you."

"What?" Panic filled her.

"Hook is going to hang for murder."

No, no, no. She couldn't hold back the tears. "How can I leave?" Her voice shook. "Charon will never let me."

He laughed. "Oh Emma, have you ever asked him?"

"Do you think he will let me leave?"

Phillip nodded. "He will, he has no reason to keep you here. You could of left the day you arrived."

Stupid, stupid. How could she have been so blind? "Only half a day has passed?"

"Yes Emma. But time is running out you must leave."

Oh gods. She could see her parents again. She could see Belle's baby. "I will."

"Its time to say goodbye now, Emma"

She pressed her hand to the glass. "Goodbye, my dearest Phillip. I will always love you."

"Goodbye Emma. I will rest with you in my heart." He smiled and pressed a hand to the glass. "Never forget me little one."

"Never." Emma brushed away tears defiantly. She felt a great weight lift off her. Her heart was free. She could finally breath. It was time to let Phillip go. She blinked again and the mirror was back to its normal murky self. _Goodbye Phillip, goodbye forever. _

Now it was time to find Charon. Because she was going home. Finally.

She left her room with new determination and hope in her heart.

**A/N: I had a tear when I wrote this..:'( Please let me know what you thought. And as usual reviews mean so much to me. If you could find a few moment to let me know if you liked it, it would make me so happy. If you haven't noticed yet, this story is slowly coming to its conclusion. It makes me so proud and happy,that I have stuck with this story for so long. I normally give up on them in the very early stages. :D **

Hello world  
Hope you're listening  
Forgive me if I'm young  
For speaking out of turn  
There's someone I've been missing  
I think that they could be  
The better half of me  
They're in the wrong place trying to make it right  
But I'm tired of justifying  
So I say to you..

Come home  
Come home


	15. Chapter 15: Tell me your lies

Emma had been in this place so long that she could hardly fathom the idea of leaving. It felt like a strange and hopeless dream that would never really happen. She felt like she could only dream of what she once had. all she had was the memories, where she held every moment, every single second of happiness. That was all she had to keep out the loneliness. But slowly her memories were beginning to drift away, like a dream as you awake to reality. And this was her new reality.

But oh, the hope of going home. She wanted to cry and shout. Oh father, mother. I'm coming home. Missing them was confusing and painful, it was almost like she wasn't living a life without them. All her days were a gray blur, they were meaningless. Nothing mattered.

Three years, how had she lived here so long?

"Charon, I need to talk to you." He was sitting on the windowsill with a book open on his lap, his familiar long leaf green coat was unbuttoned to reveal his black undershirt.

He looked up at her, a few strands of his dark hair hung in his eyes. He flicked them away distractedly, his mind seemed to be somewhere else. "Oh...of course, what is it?"

"I want to go home."

He gave her an odd little smile. "Really?"

"Yes I really miss it." She gave him her best teary eyed, sad look.

"Oh, there's no need for the drama. All you needed to do was ask."

She grinned. "Really? You will let me leave?"

He gave her a look that might suggest she had lost her mind. "Why would I try and keep you here, honestly. I am not completely unreasonable."

"Oh..."

He snapped his book shut and began to button up his coat. "Of course, I will have to lead you through the gates, otherwise you could drift to any old realm." He gave her a sad smile. "I will miss your company I must say, but I will not be selfish and try and keep you here."

Her stomach twisted, his face so sincere and familiar. She could not help thinking of Hook when she looked at him. "I think I will miss you too."

"No you won't." He slipped his hood over his face. "You have loved ones at home, people who care. I am not one of them, don't try and fool yourself." There was an empty sort of bitterness in his voice. He was lonely.

She didn't say a word. What could she say to that. She couldn't try and deny it.

"See what I mean. The last three years don't mean a thing if you believed that all this time you were a prisoner."

He had a point, she really wanted to try and deny what he was saying. But it was all true. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He grinned. "I have lived this life for a very long time, I have become accustomed to being alone. So it really nothing new."

She nodded. It was who he was, there was no changing that. He would never be a human. That's why he found it so easy to kill. He didn't have the same emotion or understanding as humans did. That's why it puzzled her that he was clearly very lonely. But he did deserve it. Another part of her wondered if anyone really deserved an eternity of being alone. Could anyone commit a crime heinous enough to deserve it? He killed Phillip. She reminded herself.

"I'm guessing you want to leave now?" Charon had his back to her as he slipped his book back into its shelf.

"Yes."

He turned and walked towards, the familiar giant mirror, that always sat in the corner of the room. She couldn't help noticing the cold look in his eyes and the tense set of his jaw. He didn't want her to leave.

"Are you coming?" He sounded too casual.

"Of course." She gave him a warm smile. A part of her really did feel sorry for him, he also reminded her so much of Hook. She had to constantly remind herself that he was the enemy. But three years did change thing between them. In this huge place with only him as company, she could hardly keep trying to kill him.

He gestured her forwards, with a very gentleman like sweep of his arm.

She sighed. She might as well say goodbye. Emma grabbed his shoulder and flung her arms around his neck. She felt his body tense in surprise. The he slid his arms around the small of her back and lifted her off her feet. She buried his face in her neck for a second, then she pulled away slightly, so she could see his face.

His eyes were sparkling, and there was a smile on his face that she had never seen before. Hook he looked so much like Hook. There faces were inches apart and her breath was mingling with his. His eyes seemed to see right to her soul. His lips were so close to hers, she felt his pulse quicken. Hook.

Then Emma noticed his eyes, the cold steely eyes. That looked like a storm cloud. They would never be Hook's warm blue ones.

She pulled away from him suddenly. How could she try and fool herself that he was Hook? No. He would never be. Three years in this place had made her lonely and stupid. This was the man that had killed her beloved Philip and tried to ruin the lives of everyone she cared about. No Emma. No. She needed to get home and save Hook. The only thing that three years with Charon had done was made her respect him. She respected that he was alone. That he had a terrible burden. She understood. But that would never make her forgive him for killing Phillip.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"Oh, don't even worry about it." He laughed, and stepped a few paces away from her. "I tend to often have that effect on women."

She laughed and slapped his arm. He didn't say a word after that. She had tried to understand him, but always failed. Staying with him such a long time had not helped a single bit. How could she tell whether he really did are that she was leaving or that it was all just a silly game of his? He could be pulling strings and making her feel guilty. How could she tell?

"Hold my hand." He held out his hand for her. "Don't let go."

She grabbed his hand and immediately he leaped into the shimmering surface of the mirror. She felt like all the air was pushed out of her, but it only lasted a millisecond. In a flash she was standing on the cold hard ground of the palace gardens. Her heart leapt, it seemed like an eternity since she had seen this place.

Charon pulled his hand away from hers. "Here we are. Home sweet home."

"Thank you." Breathed Emma.

"Oh you're very welcome." He grinned. "I see we are both getting what we want."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

His mouth curved into a cold sneer of a smile. "Oh I really don't think you want to know, bye bye Emma." Then he was gone.

Oh gods. How could she ever try and understand him?

Emma walked through the gardens for a bit, humming and breathing in the scent of flowers. Then she realized. I am home.

Emma broke into a full sprint.

The kitchen doors were open, as they often used to be on a sunny day like this. Emma ran straight through without giving them a second glance. The castle was very much the same as when she had left. Familiar aged tapestries hung in the walls of the hall. She pushed open the double doors to her father's study. Snow and him were seated on one of the armchairs looking at a letter. David noticed her first. He turned chalk white, a blazing smile lit up his face and there were tears glinting in his eyes. He took three strides forward and gathered her up into his arms.

Emma buried her face in the warmth of his arms. It felt good to be home.

"Emma." Gasped Snow. She too came forward and put her arms around both David and Emma. They stayed like that for a while, Snow was crying and David would not let go of her. After a few more moments Emma pulled away from them both. "Its really good to be home. Where are my sisters?"

Snow gave her a tearful smile. "None of them are home, not even Aurora. But I will send word to them that you are here."

"Thank you mother." Emma frowned, they were both looking at her funny now. Then she realized, she looked three years older. "I have been to another realm. I spent three years there because I was under the impression that I was a prisoner. Time passed a lot differently there. I was overjoyed to hear that only six hours had passed in our world."

Snow and David look genuinely confused.

"I know it sounds odd. But I only speak the truth."

They smiled. "Of course we believe you Emma, it's just unlike anything we have heard." That was Snow.

Emma smiled, then she remembered. Hook was going to hang. "Where is the man who killed prince Phillip?"

"In the town square." Said David firmly. "He will die at noon." He thought Emma should be happy about it.

No,no no. "Can I take one of the carriages? I want to be there when it happens." She tried to keep the wobble out of her voice

David and Snow looked mildly shocked. "If that's really what you want." David nodded. Go down to the gates, the guards will help you set one up."

"And after, could you please come up and see us again. We have a lot to catch up on." That was Snow.

"Of course mother." She kissed them both on the cheek, then ran down to the courtyard. There were no free carriages. So one of the guards lent her a quiet gray mare. She galloped at full speed out of the castle. How could she get them not to kill him? how could she plead his innocence? they would never believe her. But she had to try, even if it was hopeless.

The town square was a mass of people all bustling about to try and get a glimpse of the dead man. Emma's heart dropped. Hook was standing with his arms tied behind his back, the noose swung gently in front of him. He had his eyes closed. A scream rose in her throat. Before she could make a sound a hand clasped to her face. She growled and kicked, twisting around to face the man. It was Graham.

"Don't fight me Emma, they can't see you here."

She screamed and bit his hand but he just held her tighter. Her only choice was to watch the horrible scene play out in front of her.

"Were you the only one involved in the murder of prince Philip? Was the princess Emma involved?"

Hook looked straight ahead from where he was. Emma and his eyes met. "No. It was just me.

Emma shrieked and kicked at Graham. He didn't let her go.

"I am sorry Emma, this is just for your own safety."

They slipped the hood over Hook's head. But before they could put the noose on, someone in the crowd screamed out. "Murdering scum!" And a knife spun and hit straight into Hook's chest with a sickening crunch.

Emma thumped Graham and shrieked against his hand. No, no no. Not him too. Tears streamed down her face.

Hook dropped to the ground. The hood slipped of his face, the dark patch on his chest only grew bigger. He touched the handle of the knife with an odd look in his eyes. Then his whole body went limp.

Everything around Emma seemed to slow. She could hardly hear Graham, tears blurred her eyes. There was a sickness in her heart. He was dead. First Phillip and now him. She heard Hook's attacker being dragged away by guards. Graham lifted her up onto the horse with him. They rode away from the scene.

Dead. Dead. Dead. She hadn't saved him.

**A/N: Stay with me on this one guys..;)**


	16. Chapter 16: In the arms of the ocean

_These wounds won't seem to heal_  
_This pain is just too real_  
_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

* * *

_Three hours ago..._

"Is he really worth it?" Murmured Rumpelstiltskin.

"Yes, he is an innocent man that is enough. I also believe Emma has formed an...attachment to him." Graham smiled, It wasn't just Emma that had formed the attachment. He could see the way Hook looked at her.

"Really?" Rumple scoffed. "She has an interesting taste." He whispered something, the words of a spell it sounded like. "There, that should hide this magic from prying eyes."

Graham nodded. After this, he was going to bring Emma back. She shouldn't have to spend her life in such a way. "So you will be in the crowd?"He already understood their plan but he was just clarifying.

"Yes, I will be. The guards will capture me afterwards." He smirked. "But that won't be a problem."

Hook didn't know of their plan as yet. But the spell in the dagger would take hold of him, making the appearance of death. Graham frowned it was a rather elaborate plan. But he would do anything to see Emma happy.

"He will be hung at noon." Graham said as he glanced out the window. The sun already creeping across the sky. He was so glad to have Rumpelstiltskin's help.

"Yes, yes. I am almost finished."

Graham nodded, he hoped it would all work. Otherwise he was setting a death sentence for all three of them.

* * *

Emma stared blankly at the window, her tears had stopped as quickly as they had come. She wouldn't let herself cry. Not this time.

"Emma I am so glad you are back." Graham stood awkwardly beside her. "I never thought he would let you leave."

Emma didn't answer.

He looked at her for a second. "I see, I will just leave you alone." There was a bitterness in his voice.

Emma didn't care, nothing really mattered. She should of just stayed with Charon, it hurt so much more to be at home and see all her families pitying faces. She hated being there, she hated her life and most of all she hated herself. For not telling Hook how she felt. _I love you. _She didn't even know his real name. She had let him die without even knowing that. Emma's heart twisted, but she wouldn't cry. It was like all her tears were spent now.

Her mother tried to make her eat. But she couldn't, all the food just turned to tasteless sickening ash in her mouth. She vaguely noticed the arrival of her sisters, they tried to comfort her. But they would never understand the pain, it seemed to rip a great hole inside her that would never mend. And the guilt, it tore through her like knives. But they couldn't see that. Because she wouldn't let them.

At first her parents were confused. Why was she so heartbroken at Hook's death? She surely hated the man? But she assumed that Graham had explained to them that Hook was innocent, because they came into her room trying to comfort her. It didn't work, nothing would. These wounds would never heal, not in this lifetime. She whispered their names. The names of the men, she hadn't saved. _Hook, Phillip, Trout. _But her tears still didn't come.

She had nearly cried when Belle's little girl came in. She was nearly one and a half now. Emma had betrayed her sisters. She had not been there when Belle's baby was born, she had inflicted a great wound on all her family. And now she was just hurting them even more.

A few days past, no maybe they were weeks, Emma didn't really notice them. She slept a little. Bathed swallowed some food. Then sat down by the window. There had to be something else after this. Somehow this hell would have to end. Right? The weather stayed rainy, the sun wouldn't shine. She had loved him. It was something that confused her, because she hadn't spent much time with him. But sometimes you didn't need to.

"Emma, can you please come out to the gardens?" It was Graham, probably an attempt to make her act like a normal person again.

She didn't answer.

"I know it hurts Emma, but please. I have something for you."

Silence.

"Emma, Hook is alive."

She hissed. "How dare you?" She stood up. "He is dead and never coming back."

"No Emma, you are wrong. We saved him."

"No." She growled. "Don't try this, I saw him die with my own eyes."

"Emma, haven't you seen a few remarkable things while you were away. What you saw was the magic of Rumpelstiltskin."

She looked at Graham. "Why are you telling me this now? if its true why didn't you say so sooner?"

"We needed to leave it a while so everyone believed he was dead."

No, this wasn't true. "Graham." She began. "I have known you for a very long time. Look me in the eyes and tell me this is true."

He grabbed her shoulders. "Emma, its true. Hook is alive and in the gardens waiting for you."

Her heart was in her throat. Alive, was he really alive? "Thank you Graham." She gently kissed his cheek.

She ran out of her room, her legs ached from lack of use but she didn't care. It didn't matter. Hook was alive. Suddenly a horrible possibility came to her. What if it was Charon waiting for her in the gardens? Graham wouldn't know the difference.

She pushed past the bewilder guards and ran through the familiar archway to the gardens. There was a hooded figure sitting on one of the stone benches, he had his head in his hands.

"Hook?"

He looked up, the light hit his features. "Emma." He said.

She ran up to him and pushed his hood off. His eyes were the softest blue, like the sky on a summers day. It was Hook. Thank god it was Hook. She stepped away from him, slightly embarrassed. He was alive, he was alive. Oh the feeling was unbelievable

"Hello princess." He smirked.

"H-hello." All this time wishing he was back. Now when he was she had no idea how to react.

"I was just coming to say hello, then I am leaving. I need to get far away from this place."

Leaving, no he wasn't leaving he again not now. "Please, please don't leave me again."

The silence seemed to draw out between them. He seemed to be under the impression that Emma didn't care if he left. Hook gave her an odd look, then closed the distance between them by enfolding her in his arms.

She sucked in a breath, then buried her face in his neck. She was home, finally. The warmth of his body seeped into her and somehow brought a smile to her face. She pulled away slightly. "Hook, what's you name?"

He looked genuinely confused for a second. "Oh, its Killian."

She smiled oh it felt so good to be happy. He was here. She couldn't let this moment pass, somehow she had gotten a second chance. She had to take it. "I love you Killian."

He tensed and pushed her away from him slightly. "Do you really mean that Emma?" There was raw hope and love in his eyes.

"Yes Killian, I-"

Before she could say another word, he cupped her face and kissed was gentle and loving. It brought teas to Emma's eyes.

She gently slipped her fingers into his hair and deepened the kiss. Let this never end.

He broke away. "I love you too Emma."

The he hugged her again. Because they never wanted to let go of each other.

* * *

They talked to Emma's parents. They agreed to Killian and Emma marrying. Because they would do anything to see Emma smile again. Killian and her never left each others sides during the wedding. The whole family rejoiced because finally thing were back to they way they should be.

Emma and Killian were going to stay in a small cottage by the seaside. Rumple had cloaked it in all the protection spells imaginable. Charon would never find them there. Her parents were sad to see her go again, but they let it happen because she was happy. That was all that mattered.

* * *

Charon smirked. He could see the young princess Aurora smiling at the man, Graham she called him. Oh this was going to be fun.

They thought they could beat him with their petty magic. They were so wrong. He could almost laugh at their stupidity. But there were still pieces on the board and he could do a lot with them.

He grinned. This wasn't over.

**A/N: Thanks so much to Trinity le Faye for her unending support and for inspiring me to always write another chapter. I also want to thank cynthiamonica for her lovely messages. This is the last chapter of Rising tides so I hope you all liked it..I am writing it again and am going to put it on FictionPress because I want it to be my own book..:D Bye lovelies...XXX**


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